Awareness, “safe rooms” for athletes… What the Games organizers have put in place to prevent sexual violence

The Paris 2024 teams worked with several associations and put a protocol in place to prevent and denounce violence, as well as to support victims.

“Build a strategy so that victims can feel safe speaking out and seeking help.” Executive Director of Impact and Legacy at the Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojop), Marie Barsacq assures that the subject of discrimination and sexist and sexual violence was quickly taken very seriously by Paris 2024.

A Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Committee was created in 2019, with several experts “whose daily work on these issues”she explains. Paris 2024 relied on field actors, such as the Maison des femmes and the Fondation des femmes, but also on associations such as Umay and Safer, to create the system that will be in place during the Games.

The organization’s employees and 45,000 volunteers followed the awareness modules created by these two associations. “It was very importantexplains Marie Barsacq, to ensure that they know how to react, how to behave when a victim speaks – know what the first words are, the attitude to adopt – know the procedure to be able to immediately alert the right people and how to behave towards the aggressor.”

Awareness has been extended to Paris 2024 service providers who will “operate on site and interact”while security agents, present at all competition sites, will have “a little daily reminder in the morning briefing, before welcoming the spectators”.

“It is essential that the event be spared, free of all these subjects, even if we know that we live in the same society as everyone else.”

Marie Barsacq, Executive Director Impact and Legacy of Paris 2024

to franceinfo: sport

Concretely, on the ground, how will the teams manage possible attacks? A person who is a victim or witness of a reprehensible act will be able to refer the matter to a volunteer, “who knows the process and therefore knows that he must go and see his manager on site, the security agent or the representative of the prefect if there is oneshe explains. The prefects have delegated state representatives to several major competition sites to deal with the most serious problems as quickly as possible.”

A poster will be posted so that all spectators can learn about the system and know who to contact. “in all changing rooms of those who will be working for the Games and all toilets at competition venues and hospitality venues, such as Champions Park”promises the executive director of Paris 2024. The France Victimes number to call in the event of an attack, 116 006, will be listed there.

This entire system, evaluated by the French Association for Standardization (Afnor), has obtained the Terrain d’égalité label, which rewards commitments to equality between women and men and the fight against discrimination.

Regarding athletes, the Paris 2024 teams do not have control. The French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) and the Ministry of Sports have taken care of prevention with French sports federations. During the major world sports event, it is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that will make decisions in the event of sexual and gender-based assaults and violence. Before possible criminal prosecution, sanctions that can go as far as withdrawal of accreditation are planned for athletes as well as volunteers and staff of the organization.

As part of their registration for the Games, athletes receive several documents from the IOC: the Olympic Charter, documents on what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to wear in the Olympic Village, etc. The IOC also provides all registered athletes with training modules, prepared with the institution’s Ethics and Human Rights Committee, to raise awareness of discrimination and sexist and sexual violence.

To protect the actors and actresses of these Games, and not to give a feeling of insecurity, safe rooms (security pieces) have been installed, including one at the CNOSF headquarters in the south of Paris, and several others at the athletes’ village. In the hope that nothing will spoil the party.

Outside of the Games, the Signal Sports platform, set up by the ministry, received 75% more reports in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year. “This is just the beginning, there is still much to doacknowledged Astrid Guyart, secretary general of the CNOSF, during a meeting at UNESCO on violence and discrimination in sport in June. What we can expect is zero tolerance for aggressors.”