The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 is set to reach full gender parity on the field of play. For the first time in Olympic history, quota places have been equally distributed to female and male athletes (50:50). The IOC’s commitment to gender equality has steadily increased over the years. Women competed for the first time at the Paris 1900 Olympics, when they totaled just 2.2 percent of the participants. The number gradually rose, reaching 48 percent in Tokyo 2020.
Paris 2024 will offer a more gender-balanced sports program, with 28 out of 32 sports fully gender equal. The Paris 2024 schedule comprises a more gender-balanced number of medal events, with 152 women’s events, 157 men’s events and 20 mixed-gender events.
Over the years, the IOC has undertaken a number of actions to increase women’s visibility at the Olympic Games. The IOC is encouraging all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to include a minimum of one female and one male athlete in their delegation. Since Tokyo 2020, each team has been encouraged to have one female and one male athlete jointly carry their flag at the Games’ opening ceremony.
