IPC development has successful impact on female participation in Asia

In 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malasia, over 60 participants from 19 Asian nations attended the summit, whose purpose was to empower women to step forward as leaders in Paralympic Sport and train them to raise awareness on women’s issues. The summit had called for greater gender equality within the paralympic movement in Asia.

Results
Four years later, there have been many encouraging changes in the field. In 2008, 17 per cent of NPC staff were women, which rose to 23 per cent in 2010. In some countries, there is an action plan delivered. Korea, Iran, Japan and the Asian Paralympic Committee have created a Women in Sport Committee and some countries, including the Philippines, Korea and Iran, have also conducted national Women in Sport Summits. At the Japan Paralympic Committee, 15.5 per cent of executives are women, which is much higher than at Japan’s Olympic Committee (5.7 per cent). JPC has also set a goal of increasing the percentage of female executives, through an education programme.

quotas within the IPC
At the IPC Headquarters, women already make up over 50 per cent of all staff, with women comprising 21 per cent of senior management positions and 21 per cent of the IPC Governing Board. The IPC is striving to increase female representation in management.

Towards a 50-50 all through the Paralympic Movement?
Tine Teilmann, Chairperson of the IPC Women in Sport Committee, says “Generally I can say that more women from the Asian region have stepped forward. We see more women participating in leadership. We see more networking between different countries in Asia and that’s something that is bringing this issue forward". IPC President, Sir Philip Craven, shares and supports Teilmann’s goals: “Women see things differently than men and therefore I want to see 50-50 all through the Paralympic Movement."

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