SUMMARY:

• The Commission recently adopted a new Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 to 2030, embedding gender equality into every aspect of life.
• The new Strategy turns the objectives of the Roadmap for Women's Rights into concrete actions. However, while sport and physical activity are acknowledged, no concrete measures are proposed to address the gender gap in these sectors.

MORE INFORMATION:

In the strategy, the Commission acknowledges that sport is a powerful enabler to fight gender stereotypes in educational settings and beyond. At EU level, sport policy encourages women role models and contributes to closing the gender gap in physical activity.

The Commission aims to further gender mainstreaming in these areas, particularly in the European Week of Sport, #BeActive EU Sport Awards, Erasmus+ Sport and in the forthcoming Strategic Vision for Sport in Europe (planned for Q4 2026) to reinforce the European Sport Model. However, the Strategy stops short of outlining any specific initiatives or commitments for the sport and physical activity sectors, despite our recommendations made during the public consultation.

NEXT STEPS:

FESI will continue engaging with the European Commission to make sure the future Strategic Vision for sport includes clear and targeted actions to foster gender equality in sport, aligned with our position paper and strongHer manifesto.