Tennis showcased as officiating pioneer at Paris 2024
ITF president and IOC member Dave Haggerty opened the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion (GeDI) Conference held this week at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by praising the ITF Officiating team, citing their major contribution to ensuring gender equity in officiating at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Tennis Events.
Speaking to 100 officials from 59 nations, Haggerty hailed tennis as a pioneer in international sports officiating thanks to its powerful women role models and the support of male allies in encouraging more women into the profession and fostering an inclusive culture.
The ITF officiating programme has successfully built a global network of local ambassadors supporting the professional development of women as international technical officials.
Asked what more can be done to help women progress, Haggerty called for more international tournaments which will provide much needed opportunities for women to gain the necessary training and experience, closer to home.
"The ITF is committed to providing equal opportunity for women and men," said Haggerty. "More international tournaments are needed in certain regions around the world. The ITF can support this pathway through its continued investment into the expansion of the ITF World Tennis Tour.”
Charlotte Groppo, head of Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at the IOC, took the discussion a step further saying that gender cannot be treated in isolation.
As such, the IOC programme ‘All In’ encompasses gender equality and intersectionality: the multiple intersecting factors which lead to discrimination including sex, race, ethnicity, class, religion, disability etc.
Groppo, a former French ministerial advisor in the field of gender equality and intersectionality, talked about the principles of Olympism and underlined the importance of sports as a social enabler.
Romain Riboud, French para-alpine skier, and Paralympic medallist presented the eight pillars of Paris 2024 impact and legacy strategy:
- Promoting physical activity
- Using sport for education
- Promoting a more inclusive society for people with disabilities
- Encouraging gender equality
- Jobs for all
- Integrating small and social businesses into the organisation of the Games
- Contribute to the development of Seine Saint Denis area
- Supporting projects using sport for social change
Conference co-hosts, ITF Officiating and Advantage All programme leads Eva Asderakii-Moore and Jaume Campistol introduced Cleméntine Négrier and Ladouce Keto. Both are representatives of charitable organisation Kabubu, which is seen as a shining example of an organisation that harnesses the power of sport to transform society.
Négrier and Keto closed the day’s presentations with a look into their programmes which foster social inclusion for refugees and asylum seekers through the practice of sport.
Created in 2019, Kabubu is taken from the Swahili for 'relationships and community through the practice of sport'. The association is made up entirely of volunteers and relies on clubs and associations to provide access to sporting facilities and help in the organisation of over 1000 events a year.
ITF Official Campistol wrapped up the sessions, saying: “the key takeaway from all today’s participants is that gender equality, diversity and inclusion is a race for everyone. Any small action can have a great impact on society.
“As international tennis officials, we are proud to represent gender equality here at the Olympics and Paralympics.”