With 200 nations set to elect a new governing Council at the 54th World Athletics (WA) Congress in Hungary, efforts to promote gender equity will be on the ballot.
The Congress will take place on August 17-18 in Budapest, host city of the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Elections will be held on August 17 morning where more than 200 member Federations will take part in the elections to decide who governs the Council for the next four years.
31 nominees are vying for 18 Council seats. These include one president, four vice presidents (at least one female), and 13 individual members. In addition, six Area presidents have already been elected, and two Athletes’ Commission members (one female, one male) will be chosen in October, for a total of 26 Council members.
This election cycle marks a critical step for gender equity at the top of the sport. World Athletics’ gender equity goals aim for an equal gender balance on the Council by 2027, according to a statement by WA. At least 10 of those elected in the upcoming 2023 elections – 40 percent of the Council – must be female.
The Congress precedes the 2023 World Athletics Championships hosted in Budapest where the newly-elected Council will put their stamp on the sport’s direction.
Gender leadership workshops and education opportunities have been organized to provide female athletes, administrators, officials and coaches clear pathways to seek and apply for roles on boards, committees and commissions at local, regional and international levels.
