Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is making a case for a better deal for female sportspersons as it relates to the support given to women in sports compared to their male counterparts.
The Prime Minister raised this and other gender disparity issues with the International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, and other Barbados Olympic Association officials during a recent courtesy call at Ilaro Court.
During the meeting, Ms. Mottley stressed: “One of the difficulties for us is gender equality…. Women in cricket do not even travel business class; they don’t get paid the same as their male counterparts. The equipment, filming and broadcasting are substandard. At every level, the disparity is there.”
President Bach assured that at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France, there will be full gender parity for the first time in the history of hosting the championships.
He added that there will be the same number of events for males and females and there will be mixed relays to “give opportunities to smaller countries where you would not have for example women to run a 400 metres”, by doing this the athletes can go up to the medal level.
Mr. Bach visited Barbados from March 8 to 10 and attended several events, including the just concluded National Primary Schools’ Athletics Championships. He also toured the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.