Debate: Violence and discrimination in the world of sports after the FIFA Women’s World Cup
Date: THURSDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2023
Speaker: Elisa Ferreira
Language: EN

Gender-based violence and discrimination have no place in Europe – not on our streets, not on our homes, not in our offices and not in our sports stadiums. The Commission is a strong defender and promoter of gender equality in all spheres of life, and sports cannot be exception to this. Europe is the cradle of football, the place where its rules were invented, and today the main showcase of this sport worldwide.  European football therefore has not just a vocation, but the responsibility to act as an important vector for promoting gender equality and ending gender-based violence – hallmarks of the union of equality that Europe must readily embody.  With full respect for the autonomy of how sport is governed and organised, I believe that sports federations have a key role to play in ensuring good governance, including the respect of sport and European values as well as European law.  For its part, the Commission is showing its commitment to gender equality in sport with concrete actions. It has led the work of the High Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport that issued recommendations in spring last year, including on measures to ensure safe sport and fight harassment.  Sport can be a powerful environment to inspire changes in attitudes and end gender biases and other stereotypes. The European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2124 includes gender equality and safe sports as key topics. The Commission recognises champions of gender equality in the world of sport with the Be Equal award, for instance, and in 2022 appointed a female coach as the European Week of Sport Ambassador, as a role model. To provide more evidence and address the media coverage on women in sport, the Commission runs a joint project ‘All In Plus’ with the Council of Europe.  Finally, the Commission encourages equality, a safe environment and inclusive sport through the funding priorities of the Erasmus+ sport actions.  Unfortunately, when it comes to gender-based violence, there is no place which is completely safe for women and girls, including in sport. Despite some progress, sexual harassment remains ubiquitous in our societies. Combating all forms of violence against women and domestic violence is a key priority for this Commission. This is why we welcome the European Union’s accession to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in June 2023.  The European Union Gender Equality Strategy for 2025 recognises the urgency of addressing sexual harassment as a form of gender-based discrimination and violence. In the European Union, women also often face sexual harassment at work. This has significant negative consequences for the victims, the employers and workplace culture. Sexual harassment is covered by International Labour Organisation Convention 120 on violence and harassment in the world of work.  The European Strategy Framework on Health and Safety at Work acknowledges the negative consequences of workplace violence, harassment and discrimination, whether based on sex or any other grounds. The Commission supports, together with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, awareness-raising on workplace harassment and gender bias, and calls on the Member States to promote gender considerations in design, implementation and reporting.  Regarding legislative measures, I would like to recall that harassment based on sex and sexual harassment in the field of employment and occupation and access to goods and services are already prohibited under EU law on gender equality in the area of employment and occupation.  In March 2022, the Commission proposed EU wide rules to end gender- based violence against women and domestic violence. You are currently negotiating this proposal with the Council. I would like to use this occasion to thank the European Parliament for its constructive approach to successfully conclude the negotiations still under this mandate, which I believe is our shared goal.  The Commission is furthermore proposing that managers in the public and private sector are obliged to receive training on how to recognise sexual harassment at work, provide support to victims and respond in an adequate manner. This is not limited to physical sexual harassment, but covers all forms of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature.  Once the directive is adopted in the Member States where sexual and psychological harassment constitutes a criminal offence, victims of those forms of violence will benefit from the established measures on protection support, including targeted support for victims of sexual harassment at work and access to justice.  The Commission remains fully committed to upholding women’s rights and combating any form of violence against women, including sexual harassment.  Thank you very much for your attention.