FIVB leading the charge for gender equality
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 8, 2020 - Around the world,
volleyball and beach volleyball athletes act as role models to
the next generation of players and fans. And one of the factors
that stands volleyball apart from other sports is the gender
balance demonstrated throughout the FIVB’s events.
The FIVB’s vision is to be the world’s number one family sport,
inspiring young boys and girls to take part in volleyball from
an early age and adopt the values of the sport on and off the
court. Therefore, ensuring volleyball and beach volleyball
promote both men’s and women’s events equally has been a
consistent part of the FIVB’s strategy.
Fundamentally, the rules of the game are equal for both men’s
and women’s competitions, providing athletes the same
opportunities to showcase their skill and athleticism in front
of thousands of fans inside the stadium, as well as millions
more watching around the world. Importantly, women’s volleyball
events often receive similar viewing figures as the men’s
tournaments, and it was found that 59% of volleyball and beach
volleyball fans are interested in both the men’s and women’s
games, which reinforces the fact that elite national and club
teams produce world class entertainment for their passionate
fans.
In addition, the FIVB is committed to creating a level playing
field and offers equal prize money for men’s and women’s events
at all its major competitions. An example of this is the
Volleyball Nations League (VNL), which made its debut in 2018.
The VNL was established as a new exciting platform on which the
best men’s and women’s national teams compete in a round-robin
format. From the offset, the event ensured equal prize money for
both genders, and alongside this the number of matches and the
event format are also the same.
During last year’s FIVB World Cup in Osaka, Japan, a common
feature at the women’s matches were sold out stadiums, and this
is trend for both volleyball and beach volleyball events,
including at the Olympic Games. In 2016, both men’s and women’s
competitions were sold out and volleyball was the most watched
sport according to the IOC’s report on television viewing
figures.
FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said:
“International Women’s Day is an important date, not only for
the FIVB and sport, but also for society as a whole. The FIVB
will always be committed to using its platform to promote and
empower women as we aim to be the world’s number one family
sport. For this reason, we ensure an equal gender split on our
Athletes’ Commission which allows us to receive invaluable
feedback on how those at the core of our sport, the athletes,
perceive the impact of our efforts in striving towards gender
equality.
“We take pride in the fact that volleyball’s fanbase was found
to be gender balanced, and remarkably 47% of volleyball and
beach volleyball fans are female, demonstrating how the entire
volleyball community champions women in sport.” |