By Daniel Nhakaniso
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has urged the global sporting community to create more opportunities for women and girls, saying sport has the power to transform lives and help shape their futures.
Speaking at the 9th IWG Global Summit on Women and Sport in Birmingham, United Kingdom, the Zimbabwean Olympic legend reflected on her own journey from growing up in Zimbabwe to becoming Africa’s most decorated Olympian and the first woman to lead the IOC.
Drawing on her personal experiences, Coventry said sport had given her purpose, resilience and belief at a young age.
“Sport can help women and girls build confidence. It can protect their health and well-being. It can develop leadership skills. It can create connection and belonging. And it can help them shape their own futures.
“I know this from my own life. As a young girl in Zimbabwe, I dreamed of going to the Olympic Games. Sport gave me a goal. It taught me resilience. It helped me understand that hard work matters, and that setbacks do not define you,” said Coventry.
The two-time Olympic swimming champion also highlighted the significant strides the Olympic Movement has made towards gender equality, including achieving full gender parity on the field of play at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“There is much we can be proud of,” she said.
“At Paris 2024, we achieved full gender parity on the field of play. And we are building on that progress. Alpes 2030 will be the first gender-equal Olympic Winter Games.
“Within the IOC, women now make up more than 43 per cent of our Members. More than one-and-a-half million people have taken part in IOC-supported community sport programmes since 2022. Half of them have been women and girls.”
Despite the progress, Coventry stressed that gender equality in sport remains a work in progress, calling for more women to be represented in coaching, officiating and leadership positions while ensuring girls can participate in sport safely and with dignity.
“These milestones matter because visibility changes expectations,” she said.
“But we should be honest: progress on the field of play cannot be the finish line. We still need more women coaches. More women team leaders. More women technical officials. More women in boardrooms and presidencies.
“And we need to make sure women and girls can take part in sport safely and with dignity, wherever they live, whatever their background or circumstances.”
Coventry, who became the IOC’s first female and first African president earlier this year, has consistently identified gender equality and expanding opportunities for young people through sport as key priorities of her presidency.