Speaking at a press conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles, California, in the United States of America at the weekend, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), reiterated the IOC’s commitment to encouraging the participation of women in sport at the Olympic level.
The IOC top man, who was speaking to a teeming number of reporters drawn from all parts of the world in a jam-packed media work room in Los Angeles, says the IOC is keen on encouraging women participation at the Olympic Games due to take centre stage in London from 27 July 2012.
“We are keen on having more women participating in the Games, as you know for youth Olympic Games, and because of a proactive policy we are already at 45 per cent and we hope to get to the 50/50 as soon as possible.
“Secondly, I want to tell you that both Softball and Baseball will be included in the African sport as part of the extra sports that will be decided in 2013 and one more sport will be coming on the IOC programme,” Rogge told the media at a gathering marking the end of a successful three-day world conference on women and sport.
‘IOC pays special attention on sexual harassment of women athletes’
Also reacting to a question raised by this reporter who was in attendance to cover the conference on the increasing effect women athletes continue to face with regard to sexual harassment, the influential IOC big man responded by saying his office has paid special attention to the growing concern of sexual harassment on athletes.
He added: “I would like to tell you that the International Olympic Committee’s medical and ethics committee together with the medical commission of all the summer and winter Games and the international federations have produced a document on sexual harassment which has been circulated to the entire national Olympic committees and the international federations three years ago.”
The same document produced by sports people with majority of the experts coming from the United States of America has been given special attention and consideration giving the fact that it is the most talked-about subject among the concerns of sports personalities of recent, the IOC top man said.
Leadership position for Women in Sport
The International Olympic Committee needs a new push for the inclusion of more women in leadership positions and my committee has been successful in this area,” says Rogge when responding to a question raised by a BBC reporter about the IOC’s role in promoting gender equity in sport.
Jacques Rogge added that women’s involvement in leadership positions is better today than the past, something he describes as an achievement for him and his IOC team.
Mr Rogge, who took time to challenge the entire IOC committee members to work tirelessly towards the fulfillment of their responsibilities, also expressed the need for more women’s involvement in leadership positions.
He gave assurances that the IOC will have up to 21 female members that will serve in the committee after the London Games.
