Gender Equity in Sport

Project Details

Gender Equity is the process of allocating resources, programs, and decision making fairly to all genders without any discrimination on the basis of gender and addressing any imbalances in the benefits available to people of different genders. This requires ensuring that everyone has access to a full range of opportunities to achieve the social, psychological and physical benefits that come from participating and leading in sport and physical activity. It does not necessarily mean equality, eg making the same programs and facilities available to everyone.   

Gender Equity also requires an examination of organizational practices and policies that may hinder the participation of girls and women. For example, this requires service providers to assess:  

• Hiring and recruitment practices – to ensure women have leadership roles, and involved in decision-making, and are available as role models for other girls and women;  

• Resource allocation – to determine how budgets are allocated across programs;  

• Facility bookings – to ensure that girls and women have access to prime-time slots and prime facilities;  

• Participation rates – to evaluate current programs and services to identify potential barriers, and to determine whether co-ed programs are truly co-ed;  

• Activity programming – to assess the types of activities offered for women and girls; and  

• Promotional materials – to ensure girls and women are not being excluded or stereotyped in pictures or language.  

One of programs offered by Canadian Women in Sport is the Same Game Challenge, a program aimed at empowering sport leaders with knowledge and tools to tackle gender inequity and make Canadian sport more inclusive. Taking part in the program this year is   

Kingston Yacht Club (KYC), a local non-profit organization with some 400 members. The Club provides sailing programs to the general public through its Sail Training Centre, a new initiative that is currently being developed over the winter with a launch planned for April 2024.  

KYC has two (2) members and one (1) staff member taking part in the Same Game Challenge which involves participating in monthly virtual training sessions, completing online modules and attending monthly coaching meetings. As part of their acceptance into the program, the Club has also been awarded a $1,000 honorarium that can be used to support KYC organizational gender equity activities.