This project addresses the problem of discrimination against women in sport. Women’s sport is ignored and underfunded, and sportswomen often encounter sexism and violence. As a result, women do sport less often and are not involved in decision-making and management. Although one quarter of people who exercise in sports clubs are women, only 16% of coaches and 10% of management boards are women. It is primarily men who make decisions about development of disciplines, allocation of funds, local strategies for developing physical culture, and other regulations.
Under the Project, the Project Promoter will hold five conferences in various cities, at which women given training beforehand will act as experts and conduct workshops on managing a sports club, formulating local policy, building the image of clubs, sources of funding, and the ways in which it is possible to develop professionally in sport. The Project Promoter will also produce the Model Support Package, which will give twenty women active in sport coaching to advance their careers, and in which they will attend self-defence and assertiveness workshops. A collection of good practices will also be produced for the functioning of Sports Councils, to be used for advocacy activities. In addition, assistance will be provided for five women’s sport initiatives, to apply for grants under the Community Activity Incubator.
Due to the project, women will become stronger as sports leaders and experts, and learn new competences in sports club management and having a say in policy; they will also learn to recognize and react to discrimination and sexism in sport. Awareness and recognition of women active in physical culture will improve, as will public awareness of inequality of women in sport.
The project partner is Klub Sportowy Kontra, which has been active in the women’s sport community for many years, and promotes and reaches people interested in taking part in the project.