The ANOC Podcast: Ireland NOC President Champions Gender Equality Progress

Produced in partnership with the Association of National Olympic Committees

(ATR) Olympic Federation of Ireland president Sarah Keane is pleased with the recent approval of a new amendment to introduce 30 percent minimum gender balance to the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Executive Council.

European NOCs voted 43-7 in favor of the motion that Keane, the chair of the Gender Equality Commission, put forward at the EOC 49th General Assembly on November 27.

"I feel that it is actually very significant – I think we’re one of the first continents at the Olympic level to do this and Europe would like to see itself leading in this field and obviously to support the work of the IOC and ANOC," Keane tells ATR’s Brian Pinelli in the latest edition of the ANOC Podcast.

"One of the reasons for putting forward this motion was to raise awareness of the fact that we’re at a time for elections at the Continental level, but also at the National Olympic Committee level, and to get people considering and thinking about this issue.

"The fact that this got such resounding support from the European National Olympic Committees was amazing."

The adaptation will take effect at the EOC 2021 election ensuring that the Executive Committee includes at least five (30 percent) members from each gender.

Keane was re-elected president of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, running unopposed, for a second term on December 8.

The OFI president also highlighted the newly launched "Make a Difference" program, a collaboration between Team Ireland and premier sponsor FBD Insurance, to provide financial assistance for Irish athletes training for Tokyo 2020.

"What is interesting is that it is recognizing that there are those who are maybe not on the same level of funding or who haven’t reached the same level of performance yet, but could still make the Olympic Games and the team, and recognizing that they may need just that extra little bit of financial support."

AroundTheRings · ATRadio - ANOC Podcast with NOC President Sarah KeanProduced in partnership with the Association of National Olympic Committees

Homepage photo: OFI

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