Strategies of the IOC Targeting Women's Participation in the Olympic Movement (1953 to 2013)

Abstract

The participation of female athletes in the modern era of the Olympic Games has been occurring since the second edition of the event in 1900. Since then, there has been a gradual increase in the participation of women in the Summer Olympic Games competitions, achieving gender equality only in the 2024 edition. In contrast, , women's participation in leadership positions within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not progress at the same pace, as there were no women in the IOC in 1900, and in 2024 the percentage is 33.3%. This study aims to elucidate the actions directed towards women's participation in the Olympic Games and in the decision-making structures of the IOC, during the period from 1953 to 2013 based on the analysis of the organization's minutes. It was evidenced that, until the 1950s, even though there was concern about women's participation, it was still in its early stages. Similarly, women's participation in the decision-making structures of the Olympic Movement was not observed until the late 1960s. Only in the 1970s, in 1973, did the first significant organizational strategies emerge, such as the one that allowed women to become members of the IOC; however, the first women were elected only in the following decade, in 1981. In this regard, especially in the last 20 years, the Olympic Movement has been striving to promote greater participation of women in sports, taking responsibility for implementing strategies to integrate women into the Olympic Games, although their participation in decision-making structures remains incipient.