GENEVA - In Geneva, top female athletes in boxing, track and tennis addressed the Women's Day event on the role of women in the world of sports, and the larger context of what sport means to women in civil society. In recognition of this year's theme, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is headquartered in nearby Lausanne, Switzerland, joined the event and awarded its "Women and Sport" annual prize to Gabriela Sabatini, the Argentine tennis star.
The opening event featured a panel discussion with Nawal El Moutawakel, the first female Olympic gold medallist from Morocco and a Member of the IOC, and Myriam Lamare, the World Boxing Association's current light welterweight champion from Marseille, France.
Following the ILO panel, the IOC held its annual awards ceremony to recognize international sports personalities who have made significant contributions to the development of women's sports in their countries.
In addition to Ms. Sabatini, who was recognized for her work to promote and develop tennis in her country, especially among young women, the IOC awarded trophies to Albertine Barbosa Andrade of Senegal, Charmaine Crooks of Canada, Elisa Lee of the Republic of Korea, Dominique Petit of France and Lorraine Mar of Fiji for their work in promoting women's sports.
Global ILO events
In Europe, the ILO participated in a discussion by the Russian State Duma (Parliament) Committee on Women, Family and Children in Moscow on a draft law on the State Guarantees of Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in the Russian Federation. In Lisbon, the ILO joined other national entities in signing a Declaration on women and equality.
In Asia, the ILO Office in New Delhi hosted a discussion on "Women as change agents - Emerging out of crisis situations," presided over by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment. During the discussion, women from the region shared their experiences of emerging from crisis situations of different kinds. A rock concert, co-hosted by the ILO and other UN agencies, also took place. Marches through rural and tsunami-affected areas were organized to raise awareness of the minimum wage and other labour laws for workers in the informal economy. Women form a large number of the workers in this sector.
In Tokyo, the ILO and other UN agencies held a public forum on "Women in Decision-Making" featuring distinguished speakers from the region. In Banda Aceh, the ILO announced the winners of the Best Women Entrepreneurs of Aceh Awards who were honoured for founding or owning businesses (see p. 38). In Manila, the ILO and national sports institutions sponsored sports demonstrations, lectures and 5km and 10km races. Seminars and book launches also took place in Bangkok and Colombo.
In Washington D.C., the ILO co-sponsored a round-table discussion with several other UN agencies and a number of key speakers. The ILO office for Arab States organized a series of activities on women migrant domestic workers as well as breaking the glass ceiling, and providing a guide for trade unions and employers on promoting gender equality in the region. In Africa, events ranged from seminars on women and decision-making to women entrepreneurs and the working conditions of women on the continent.
In a statement issued to mark the day, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, "There is no doubt that women continue to transform the workplaces of the world - a critical arena for the advancement of women in society. Over the past decade, the number of working women has increased by 200 million. Today, women represent more than 40 per cent of working people worldwide. Women are also continuing to make inroads in the world of professional sports.
"Despite the advances", Mr. Somavia continued, "glaring inequalities persist in workplaces throughout the world. The pay gap is still a reality. The 'jobs gap' between men and women - especially in terms of quality - remains wide. We estimate that women represent 60 per cent of the world's working poor."
The ILO chose the theme of women in sports and the world of work to draw attention to gender inequalities and barriers that exist across all professions, including sports.
In professional sports, for instance, women earn far less money than men, with the rationale that women's sports do not attract the audiences or draw an equal level of media coverage, advertising revenue or endorsements.
For more information, please see the Planet Work section of this issue, pp 27-30.