World Athletics sets to take significant steps towards gender equity in 2023

Paris: The global governing body of athletics has announced a package plan to further improve gender equity in the sport in 2023, setting the goal to have 40 per cent female representation on the World Athletics Council, including at least one female vice president.

According to the blueprint released on its website in celebration of International Women's Day, World Athletics will take a significant number of new steps towards gender equity, which also includes the target of 40% female participants taking its online courses as part of a learning pipeline for future sports administrators, reports Xinhua news agency.

World Athletics also pledged to expand its research into the representation of female athletes across various media channels.

"I am immensely proud that World Athletics is once again leading the way for gender equity in sport. It was an important part of the reforms we introduced in 2016," said Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics.

"In today's world, it is not enough to provide equal opportunity, we must provide equity. In order to achieve true equity in our sport, it is important that we offer our female athletes, administrators, and officials the tools and environment they need to be empowered to pursue careers at all levels of athletics - be it by setting quotas for female representation on our Council, or providing more flexible learning and development opportunities that better suit women's commitments - we are absolutely dedicated to making our sport equitable and representative for all."

World Athletics plans to increase the number of women on its Council from eight members currently to a minimum of 10 members, including at least one female vice president, at the Council elections in August 2023.