Women’s health and equality in sport in focus at Council of Europe events
On 5–6 March 2026, Dr. Rufat Efendiyev, founder and director of the International Platform for Sport Ethics & Integrity (IPSEI), took part in two Council of Europe events held in Strasbourg in the field of women’s health, gender equality and sport: the launch event of the joint European Union–Council of Europe project “Active and Equal: Women’s Health in Sport across Generations” on 5 March, and the “Breakfast Roundtable on women and girls’ participation in sport” on 6 March.
His participation also reflected his current functions within the Council of Europe framework as Chair of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Gender Mainstreaming in Anti-Doping (T-DO GEMA) and CAHAMA Gender Equality Rapporteur.
The “Active and Equal: Women’s Health in Sport across Generations” launch event, held at the Palais de l’Europe in hybrid format, marked the start of a 24-month joint project to be implemented from January 2026 to December 2027. The initiative is designed to place women’s health more firmly at the centre of sport policy and practice, with particular attention to health realities and barriers affecting participation across the life course, including adolescence, maternity, menopause and older age.
According to the project concept, “Active and Equal” aims to identify and analyse the physiological, psychological and social barriers affecting women’s participation in sport; develop training and practical resources for coaches, teachers, sport and health professionals and policy makers; raise awareness and reduce stigma around women’s health in sport; and facilitate the exchange of good practices among countries. The project is expected to produce a European Mapping Report on Women’s Health in Sport, a Women’s Health in Sport Training Toolkit and awareness-raising videos for wider dissemination.
The launch programme brought together institutional representatives and experts for discussions on stigma, research gaps and practical responses from elite to grassroots sport. Sessions included contributions on breaking taboos, knowledge and data gaps, and capacity-building through best practice, with participation from Council of Europe officials, European Commission representatives, researchers and practitioners from the sport sector.
On 6 March, the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) held the “Breakfast Roundtable on women and girls’ participation in sport” in hybrid format at the Palais de l’Europe. The event formed part of the Council of Europe’s broader gender equality work in sport and focused this year on participation and access for women and girls.
The roundtable addressed inequalities highlighted by the findings of the joint European Union–Council of Europe project “All In Plus: Promoting greater gender equality in sport”. According to the data presented by the organisers, girls accounted for just over one third of under-18 members in sports clubs and federations, while women represented less than one third of adult members. The programme included expert presentations, discussion of initiatives aimed at ensuring equal participation, and a panel exchange on improving access to sport for women and girls.
For IPSEI, engagement in such discussions is closely aligned with the platform’s broader interest in ethics, integrity, inclusion and responsible sport governance.
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