Gender, Inclusion, Community, Health, Sport and Empowerment
The Times of India - Semenya backer now takes up Santhi’s case
Nandita Sengupta, TNN, Jul 31, 2010, 03.35am IST
NEW DELHI: There is hope yet for athlete Santhi Soundarajan. The Tamil Nadu athlete was barred from racing and stripped of the silver medal she won at Doha’s Asian Games in 2006 after failing gender tests.
But now Canada-based elite cyclist Kristen Worley, who successfully fought for South African athlete Caster Semenya, has taken up her case.
July 31, 2010
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2010
Sport leaders request that random gender verification testing of female athletes at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver be prohibited
Toronto, Canada: The Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport requests that the organizing committee of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games prohibit random gender verification testing of female athletes at the Games, in the best interest of all international female athletes.
“The statements from the IOC following its Gender Summit in Miami in January 2010 do not demonstrate any intent by the IOC to eliminate the inequities and discriminatory impact of gender testing in sport. By classifying gender ambiguities as disorders requiring treatment, the IOC is pathologizing a normal spectrum of humanity. By assuming that the only relevant gender issue is in women’s events, the IOC ignores the potential advantage of physical characteristics associated with the female form (flexibility, for example) to men in certain sports. In addition, the IOC policy is excessively discretionary and subjective in that the IOC does not state what criteria are relevant to a determination of “male” or “female”. By subjecting only certain women to the policy, the IOC also leaves women open to witch hunts and being requested to undergo body modification. By any standard, the IOC’s approach is a violation of international laws prohibiting gender discrimination and the IOC’s own commitment to equality and the right to play. We continue to urge the IOC to adopt the proposed gender policy alternative of the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion. ”
Gender verification testing is a violation of human rights, specifically the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also violates the Olympic Movement’s stated commitments to equality and the right to play.
To Read Entire Press Release Document – “Click Here” to Download
Published – January 2010
Key References
The Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport – Position Statement
The Guiding Principles for Inclusion in Sport
* Presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) January 7th, 2010
Goto Online Petition and let the IOC here your Athletes Voice “Click Here”
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The Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport advocates an inclusive sport system open to all people, at all levels of participation. We believe that the rules of organized sport have for too long marginalized or excluded people for reasons other than their athletic ability.
In January the International Olympic Committee is hosting a summit on gender and sport. Recently, the IOC has made decisions that have a very negative impact on women. The decision to exclude female ski jumpers at the Vancouver Olympic Games, thus requiring Canada to host an event that discriminates on the basis of gender in a country in which gender discrimination is prohibited, is very discouraging to Canadians whose laws will be violated.
Goto Online Petition and let the IOC here your Athletes Voice “Click Here”
In addition, the IOC’s long history of persecuting women who do not fit the IOC’s narrow definition of gender, has a humiliating and extremely upsetting impact on these women and is a violation of their dignity.
As athletes committed to inclusive sport and the shared values of the Olympic movement, and to human compassion for all living beings, we urge the IOC to commit to equitable and inclusive sport processes, that do not marginalize a person based on culture, sexuality, gender, physical ability or any other factor that is irrelevant to a person’s actual (rather than assumed) ability to participate in sport.
We request that the IOC work with and listen to international professionals inrelevant fields of expertise, international and national sport governing bodies, women’s and men’s organizations, and athletes who have been marginalized and effected by policies created by the IOC. IOC policies directly effect athletes lives, and their participation in high performance sport.
Because of the IOC’s accountability to sport and its participants, we urge the IOC to ensure complete transparency of any policy that directly affect the development and assurance of equitable sport. As the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport, we seek to assure a sport system that is inclusive, safe and sustainable. We urge the IOC to aspire to similar goals that truly reflect the evolution of the Olympic Movement and its values in modern society.
Goto Online Petition and let the IOC here your Athletes Voice “Click Here“
Published December 2009
Key reference articles dating back from December 2006, when Santhi Soundarajan was publicly humiliated by IAAF and IOC officials after the Asian Games.
Important to note, in response to Jacques Rogge’s to the Associated Press (AP) on September 14, 2009 making this case solely a IAAF problem. When you read these key references below, you will see in contrast of his response that this has been going on for several years, and he has been made aware of it on several occasions acknowledging in-fact this is an IOC problem, and has been for decades, and has profoundly impacted women’s sport, women’s sport development since women’s participation in elite and Olympic sport, with direct ties to Dr. Arne Ljungqvist, the creator of gender testing/sex testing in women’s sport. Designed to catch “genuine sex impostors”, which has never happened in the history Olympic sport, creating only myths, undo hysteria and greater social ignorance of the vast normal physiological differences in human development in both women and men participating within sport.
Ljungqvist’s career in sport, started as chief medical director and vice-president of the IAAF at the same time chairman of the IOC Medical Commission. Just recently, retired from the IAAF, maintaining his position chairman of the IOC Medical Commission and new appointment as vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It is important to note prior to Ljungqvist leaving the IAAF, many months after the incident with Santhi at the Asian Games, Ljungqvist had suggested publicly and to the media that, “he would be investigating Santhi’s case personally.” Ljungqvist… Did nothing, as the worlds highest ranking medical official within both the IAAF and IOC. Knowing in 06/07 the IAAF gender policy supports and states clearly women athletes with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). It is documented in the IAAF policy very clearly, proven how disadvantaged the athlete is and this is no issue and nor to be contested.
Santhi was sex tested, and her silver medal in the women’s 800m event was removed. She was then banished from track and field forever, never able to seek and complete her dreams as one of the worlds leading women’s 800m runners. A stepping stone to the Beijing Olympics and representing her country of India. Santhi should have run in Beijing.
Instead cruelly, the IOC and IAAF left her to be the martyr of gender testing, and a symbol of their failing.
Ljungqvist left Santhi to fend for herself to be literally raped by the world media, thus attempting suicide do to the repercussions and humiliation created by the worldwide attention and media she received, making like she deserved it and was a cheater, when in-fact none of this was so, and should have never happened.
This is a severe ethics problem in leadership of the International sport system as (3) athletes in just 2 years have been publicly humiliated like Caster has been, and (9) athletes in 4 years have received similar repercussions. Solely based on ignorance, provoked intentionally by the IOC Medical Commission directors. When asking Patrick Schamasch IOC Medical Commission president in September 2006, he admitted when asked for the science/research to back their policy, they did not have the science nor research to support their policies on these very issues and saying, “I don’t care” if he had it right or not to Canadian sport officials. Patrick continued to say, when asked about sex testing, “Kristen, we told the world we stopped sex testing pre-2000, but we still do it…”. He said, “I can do whatever I want…. Kristen, you come to 2008 games, you play by my rules…”.
As the world of sport has now seen in a very short time span of just the last 2 years, impacting and destroying (3) athletes lives and athletic careers as we have now seen once again with Caster.
Watch CTV National News Live Interview – Kristen’s response to IAAF and IOC.
Friday September 11, 2009
Jacques Rogge is trying to wash his hands of the worst of sport and humanity we have ever seen, knowing this has been going on for years.
Please do not allow him to attempt to confuse you as he is trying to do, and allow him and his colleagues at the IOC Medical Commission wash their hands of these human rights abuses, unethical practices and inhumane treatment of women. What has happened to Caster is crimminal and the IOC is not above the law of the rest of society.
This is our chance to change international sport, protect and empower young women, saying “No More IOC”, and you will be made accountable for what has happened to Caster Semeneya, Santhi Soundarajan and the many women publicly Raped and Humiliated by these men, who until now as a singular entity have been able to shape our global sports system with so little regard and accountability.
“This past month we watched the complete destruction of a human-being, and were responsible for it”
Dr. Kevin Wamsley, Dean of Humanities University of Western Ontario, Canada.
CBC National News, Friday September 11th, 2009.
Hence the work and efforts going on in Canada to prevent further impact on future athletes, ensuring an educational, protective, inclusionary, comprehensive and universal sports system.
I ask the International media to reflect on these references below, and not take Jacques Rogge’s comments at face value, because that is all it is. There is nothing behind the brand in regards to these issues, and the IOC has failed the worlds sports system and global society to better understand broad diversity in all women and men that each one of us share these normal differences and human development together.
WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM… Education is so key going forward.
*Please see below references.
IOC biggest threat to future of global sport- Hindustan Times
Interview with Kristen Worley
Published – October 2007
Hindustan Times – View Full Article
Who decides what is the definition of a woman- Hindustan Times
Interview with Mianne Bagger
Published – October 2007
Hindustan Times – View Full Article
Canadian cyclist “peddles” for Santhi – Hindustan Times
Published – October 2007
Hindustan Times – View Full Article
Punishing Difference – Express Buzz
Published – January 2009
Express Buzz – View Full Article
Open Letter – Jacques Rogge - International Olympic Committee -
January 2009
Releasing Ms. Santhi Soundarajan as the “martyr” of the IOC’s failed sex and
gender policy in International sport
Kristen Worley’s website – View Full Letter
Other Key Academic and Scientific Reviews
Canada’s AthletesCAN Releases Discussion Paper
“Including Transitioned and Transitioning Athletes in Sport”
Issues, Facts and Perspectives
Published May 29th, 2009
View Full Papers
Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine Position Statement
Gender Verification in Sport
Published 1997
View Full Paper
For Further In-depth Resources and Contacts.
Kristen Worley – www.kristenworley.ca
Mianne Bagger - www.miannegolf.com
AthletesCAN – www.athletescan.com
Canadian Centre of Ethics in Sport – www.cces.ca
Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport
and Physical Activity – www.caaws.ca
Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine – www.casm-acms.org
CTV National News – Kristen’s live interview in response to Caster Semenya from South Africa, 800m runner - IAAF’s release of her medical information publicly and the IAAF’s and IOC continued poor handling of these issues.
Friday September 11th, 2009
To review interview, “Click Here”
