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
Congratulations to Canadian PAN AM Bid Committee! Toronto 2015 Games Selection Winners
Toronto on Friday November 6th, 2009 was awarded the 2015 Pan American Games. This is tremendous news for the City of Toronto and the province of Ontario. Though the games will develop new international training and competition sites desperately needed for Canadian athletes. The games are much more then just 16 days in sport and the investment of 2.6 billion dollars goes well beyond the games, creating a legacy and image that is sustainable, unique and represents the multiculturalism and diversity within the city of Toronto and Canada. Illustrating and demonstrating to the world, our ability to understand inclusion within our city and country better than anyone else, setting an example to the world to ensure a inclusive society, of which sport represents as a small window.
The success of the Canadian bid win opens doors, communications, resources and most importantly language that embraces and represents all Canadian society, illustrating why Canada is a leader in the area of human rights, human difference and development which we all share .
GO Canada GO!
