New gender equality plans strengthen sports education in Europe

The equality plans are the outcome of three years of work under the SUPPORTER project, and the participating institutions stem from Southeastern Europe, a region with a strong tradition of specialising in training athletes at dedicated sports universities.

– In this context, the division between women’s and men’s sports has long been taken for granted, with norms shaping what is valued and legitimised. The gender equality plans help to highlight and reform the structures of sport, as well as the conditions under which students and teachers operate, says Suzanne Lundvall, Professor of Sport Science at the University of Gothenburg and one of the project experts together with  Sofia Strid, Karin Grahn och Nathalie Wuiame.

A participatory approach

The development of the plans relied on an inclusive and evidence-based process. The participating institutions undertook gender equality audits, produced tailored roadmaps, and engaged in mentoring, training, and mutual learning. This allowed each institution to pinpoint its specific challenges and needs while receiving support from the project’s expert partners.

The plans include both formal gender equality provisions and concrete actions to be implemented and monitored. They also encourage collaboration with stakeholders outside academia to raise awareness of gender-based violence and foster more inclusive environments.

– The equality plans play an active role in raising awareness of gender-based violence and in ensuring that greater equality is realised. They include specific actions to be followed up and foster collaborations with important stakeholders, adds Suzanne Lundvall.

Developing training modules

The University of Gothenburg contributed a literature review on sport, gender and gender-based violence in higher education. In addition, researchers developed three training modules (lectures and workshops), participated in the policy review, and helped shape the final report’s recommendations.

– The project has provided unique insights into working conditions at sports universities in Southeastern Europe, and how they balance training athletes for major competitions with offering higher education in sport. SUPPORTER has provided knowledge, support and structure for continued work on gender equality and preventing gender-based violence,” says Suzanne Lundvall.

Inspiration for others

The plans are structured around four key principles: innovation (developing new approaches), inclusion (creating environments where everyone can participate on equal terms), intersectionality (recognising how different power structures and identities interact, such as gender, age and ethnicity), and impact (ensuring the work leads to tangible, lasting change). This makes them a model for other universities and sports education institutions seeking to devise their own gender equality strategies.

Suzanne Lundvall hopes that the project will help ensure equal conditions for students who are athletes, coaches or organisational leaders in sport, as well as for academia more broadly.

– SUPPORTER demonstrates that long-term change is possible when gender equality issues are integrated at all levels of education and research. With the eight new 4I-GEPs in place, there is now a solid foundation for creating safer, more inclusive and more equal environments for both students and staff.

Text: Ragnhild Larsson