www.olympic.org - Site Officiel du Mouvement Olympique

Athens 2004 / Chanu
SANAMACHU
© Rose/Bongarts/Getty It is true that the first Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896 were not open to women. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who revived the Games, was very much a man of his time. But since this time, the participation of women in the Olympic Movement at all levels has changed considerably: it fully represents the values of our modern society worldwide. The significant gains obtained by women in sport at all levels in the last 30 years in particular, is the result of the cooperation of the entire Olympic Movement and of innovative measures that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and numerous sports volunteers have developed to increase the number of women participating in the Olympic Games and to acquire the necessary knowledge to empower them for leadership and administrative positions.

• Learn more about the evolution of women and sport

As a leader of the Olympic Movement, whose first objective is to promote Olympism and develop sport worldwide, the IOC has constantly played a complementary role to set up a positive trend to enhance women's participation in sport at all levels, and especially in the last decades.

• Learn more on the promotion of women and sport: a mission of the Olympic Movement

In cooperation with its Women and Sport Commission, the IOC has set up a women and sport policy which aims to promote and assist women's participation in sports activities and in the Olympic Games, as well as their involvement at the leadership and administrative levels of sports organisations. To achieve these objectives, the IOC is active in four main fields:

• Promotion of women and sport in the Olympic Games
• Support activities
• Promotion of women sports leaders
• Advocacy and information

• Learn more on programme and activities