Gender mainstreaming

Most development organisations strive for gender mainstreaming. In addition, activities are aimed specifically at girls and women in order to improve their position. Gender thinking is more strongly anchored in the development sector than in the sports sector (Van Kampen, Gender, sport en ontwikkelingssamenwerking, 2001). The larger development aid organisations and organisations such as the UN and the World Bank have expertise in this field and have integrated the theme of gender in their organisations and programmes (see http://www.un.org/womenwatch, http://www.worldbank.org/gender).

Participation

Sport organisations primarily aim to increase participation by women in sports activities. At a project level, objectives and activities are often formulated that will increase the participation level of women and girls. This is expected to strengthen and improve the position of women by increasing their self-confidence. However, if gender equality is to be achieved, the underlying structures need to be tackled as well. To change unequal relations, both women and men need to be aware of these relations and the benefits of change. The present situation needs to be defined at the community level, as well as the systems and forces on which it is based. Raising the participation of women in sports activities without attention to these aspects is a risky prospect.

Cross-fertilisation desirable

This theme once again shows the usefulness of cooperation between sport organisations and development organisations. The gender issue is a pre-eminent theme for development cooperation: this sector has worked on gender equality for decades. A great deal has been learned by trial and error; most mistakes have already been made more than once. Gender mainstreaming has become widely accepted. Sport organisations no longer need to invent this particular wheel, but can build on procedures and methods that have been tried and tested in practice. Similarly, development organisations no longer need to break their heads over the question of how to train women sport leaders or how to set up sports activities that are attractive to women and make them want to join. Sport organisations such as sport federations and umbrella organisations already have this expertise.

This problem can be prevented by involving opinion leaders and key figures from the local community in the definition phase of projects and programmes. Local and regional women's networks should also be approached at an early stage, so that you can jointly set down the existing norms in relation to the project and the significance of aiming to achieve gender equality. Gender should be made a permanent item on the agenda in consultations with the local partner. This way, gender will come up at least briefly at every meeting. Even if there is nothing to report on this item, all those present will be reminded of their own gender sensitivity and of the project's objectives in relation to gender and women. Regular reminders of gender sensitivity and gender objectives are important for a sustainable change in the relations between men and women (Van Kampen, Gender, sport en ontwikkelingssamenwerking, 2001).

Experience from Dutch Royal Hockey Association

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"We ran into the problem that husbands no longer let their wives take part in the sport leader training course, because they might be learning just a bit too much. In fact we had not really thought this through well enough beforehand. You think you are emancipating the women, but you have to emancipate the men at the same time or the effect may be counterproductive. What is more, you also need to think about the impact it can have on women, because we saw some really unpleasant things happen in that respect. Women who had done the training became quite confused because they learned a lot more than their traditional role allowed them. This was another important lesson for us."(Leonie Hallers and Inger Quanjel, NKS Suriname project)