Online Discussion on Good Practice Initiatives in the Field of Prevention of Gender-based Violence in Sport

[quote=Rosa Diketmueller][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Thank you for all your input so far. We would like to move on and discuss policy recommendations in the area of gender-based violence in sport (some have been mentioned already). We understand ‘policies’ as guiding actions that aim at achieving certain outcomes. Policies are issued by governance bodies at EU, national and sport organisation level.

What kind of policy actions would help combatting gender-based violence in sport at the EU, national and sport organisation level?

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In Austria we recently developed a GBV Action Plan within the Natl. Action Plan on Gender Equality in Sport based on the the EU proposal 2014-2020. In my view embedding the issue of GBV into a broader approach is helpful.

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and having data/scientific proofs could help, too

[quote=Kari Fasting][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Which are, in your opinion, convincing arguments that can be put forward for engaging different stakeholders in prevention work?

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It is the extremely negative impact of GBV on girls and women's health/life.

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and in my opinion, its impact on the drop out-rate of girls ( and boys)

[quote=Dr. Vilana Pilinkaite-Sotirovic]

Thank you for your contribution and interesting thoughts. Vilana

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Many thanks for your input, Vilana.

[quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Thank you for all your input so far. We would like to move on and discuss policy recommendations in the area of gender-based violence in sport (some have been mentioned already). We understand ‘policies’ as guiding actions that aim at achieving certain outcomes. Policies are issued by governance bodies at EU, national and sport organisation level.

What kind of policy actions would help combatting gender-based violence in sport at the EU, national and sport organisation level?

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Within our German campaign “Strong Networks against Violence – No  Violence against Women and Girls!” the DOSB has created a format that uses sport to instruct girls and women on vital issues such as how to assert themselves and to learn how to defend themselves and to gain self-reliance.  Within that context we cooperate and collaborate very fruitful with different political institutions, eg. Since last year our requests got a great and helpful support by the campaign of the German Federal Office for Family, Senior, Women’s and Youth Affairs call “Hilfetelefon”, http://www.hilfetelefon.de/en/about-us.html

[quote=Kari Fasting][quote=Rosa Diketmueller][quote=Kari Fasting][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Which are, in your opinion, convincing arguments that can be put forward for engaging different stakeholders in prevention work?

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It is the extremely negative impact of GBV on girls and women's health/life.

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and in my opinion, its impact on the drop out-rate of girls ( and boys)

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Rosa

I agree, but we don't have so valid data on this. I found in one of on of my study that more athletes had left sport because of an harassing coach, but they didn't leave sport, they just changed to another sport. We definitely need more studies here

Kari

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I agree.

Thank you for the interesting discussion, I've  learned a lot.

I have to leave but looking forward to the transcript.

Greetings

Barbara

[quote=Renata Włoch][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Thank you for all your input so far. We would like to move on and discuss policy recommendations in the area of gender-based violence in sport (some have been mentioned already). We understand ‘policies’ as guiding actions that aim at achieving certain outcomes. Policies are issued by governance bodies at EU, national and sport organisation level.

What kind of policy actions would help combatting gender-based violence in sport at the EU, national and sport organisation level?

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I will again emphasise my conviction that the most important thing is to convince the public institutions as to the need of investing in reliable diagnosis of the problem by way of social research. 

Without data/scientific proofs the sport organizations will not be willing to introduce any kind of policy recommendations because they will always deny the sheer existence of the problem. 

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i agree robust data are vital (thoguh we don't really have this in the UK yet and still most sports orgs have bought into child welfare measures, so there's also more to cultural change than this). Perhaps requirements for this could be included in policy recommendations, along with recommendations that the data be collated (across EU??? - certainly nationally) and used along with other data to inform future policy actions/prevention strategies. i think recognition that robust and ongoing evaluation of strategies is essential too in the policy recommendations if prevention strategies are to be meaningful and 'effective'.   

[quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Which are, in your opinion, convincing arguments that can be put forward for engaging different stakeholders in prevention work?

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That stakeholders may have legal obligations. For instance, in cyprus, according to the law, adults engaged with children have mandate duty to denounce abuse. So adults need to be educated and trained to recognise signs of abuse and be informed on the handling procedures. There is a penal conviction if abuse is not being denounced.

[quote=Kirsten Witte-Abe, DOSB][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

To be more precise: if, as output of our project, policy recommendations are formulated for the EU level, for the national level and for sports associations: which recommendations should be put forward for each level respectively? And should there be recommendations addressed also at other levels?

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Level of sports organizations: Sport cannot and should not do everything on its own, however, it can team up with strong and experienced partners, eg.  

Association of Women’s Counselling and Emergency Help Centres, Association of Women's Shelters, Association of municipal equal opportunities commissioners and gender equality departments, organizations that provides services to victims of crime, association for people with mental handicap

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I agree with Kirsten here

[quote=Kirsten Witte-Abe, DOSB][quote=Catarina Arnaut]

To be more precise: if, as output of our project, policy recommendations are formulated for the EU level, for the national level and for sports associations: which recommendations should be put forward for each level respectively? And should there be recommendations addressed also at other levels?

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Level of sports organizations: Sport cannot and should not do everything on its own, however, it can team up with strong and experienced partners, eg.  

Association of Women’s Counselling and Emergency Help Centres, Association of Women's Shelters, Association of municipal equal opportunities commissioners and gender equality departments, organizations that provides services to victims of crime, association for people with mental handicap

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We agree. This is the point we feel decisive: "sport cannot and shoul not do everything ion its own..." . Infact we think the collaboration between different subjects like Sport organizations or Women association or Centres for support to women victim of violence/institutions should work together integrating the different competencies.

[quote=Catarina Arnaut]

To be more precise: if, as output of our project, policy recommendations are formulated for the EU level, for the national level and for sports associations: which recommendations should be put forward for each level respectively? And should there be recommendations addressed also at other levels?

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At Eu level - commitment across all EU governments that any organisation delivering activities for children/young people should have policies, procedures and personnel in place to deal with violence both proactively and reactively; governments should adopt this committment and mandate that these things should be put into practice in any organisation that is publically funded or recognised; national organisation level -  should adopt comprehensive policies and procedures for addressing all forms of violence and this shoudl form of general strategic and operational plans.

[quote=Child Protection in Sport Unit - Sally Proudlove]

Thank you for including me in this discussion. I will need to leave the discussion now but I hope you continue to share great ideas.

Sally

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Bye Sally! Thank you so much for joining today. Best wishes!

[quote=Catarina Arnaut]

Following Kirsten's contribution, which actors (can) play a key role in providing support in the implementation of prevention policies at EU, national and sport organisations level?

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We think that trasversal and integrated networking actions and startegies (NGos and institution)  are needed otherwis we continue to procede in parallel worlds without reaching the point. We as sport organisation need to share with local national and international institutions our experience in order to make them more effective. Working for example in a strategy against GBV in sport through the school system is needed as a fruit of a common evaluation and definition of policies.

[quote=Catarina Arnaut]

According to what we learnt during our fieldwork, the way EU Member States are addressing gender-based violence in sport differs to a great extent. Would it make sense to define different requirements for EU Member States to address gender-based violence according to its respective level of advancement? If we consider three levels of advancement, which requirements would you suggest for a basic, intermediate and advanced level respectively?

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Maybe this is a good idea, but the basic requirements that we discussed earlier must be in place for everyone. I also wonder if it would be possible instead of having levels present a continium, that the member states could work according to.