Paris 2024 Olympics: A new era for women in sport

The game is changing. For the first time in history, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will see an equal number of men and women competing. This 50:50 representation of athletes makes the Summer Games the first to reach gender parity.

Progress does not stop there. With an expected global audience of 3 billion, this year’s Games will feature equal prime time coverage of all events, putting all athletes in the spotlight. The Games will also feature more women’s and mixed events, offering more opportunities for women to win medals.  

The rise of women's sports in numbers

50%

of the competing athletes at the Paris Games are women.

14%

larger social media following than male athletes but women still get less coverage.

Change the Game

Facts and figures: Women in sport

Get the facts on women in sport with our latest deep dive into the state of gender equality in the sports world.

Explore the highs that female athletes have reached as well as the gaps that persist, from pay equity to ensuring that women can play in a safe environment. This analysis is a testament to the strides that women have made towards gender equality in the world of sport.

Five things to know about women and sport

Women’s sports are on a winning streak, reaching new heights and shattering records. From the Olympics achieving gender parity to the growing audience for women’s sports, there is much to celebrate and explore. Yet many gender gaps remain.

Here are five key things to know about women and sport.

#ChangeTheGame

Are you ready to be part of something big?

Start today and join us in celebrating the first gender equal games in history with the #ChangeTheGame hashtag.

Dive into our social media package and celebrate #WomenInSport as #GameChangers!

Girls in Brazil call for ‘full and equal participation in sport’

A UN Women and IOC program in Brazil and Argentina has been empowering girls in sport with advocacy skills to identify barriers and propose solutions. In this article the girls involved in the program discuss the issues they have faced in sport. 

Support women in sport

Levelling the playing field

1896

1896 Athens Games

The 1896 Summer Olympics were the first international Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece. No women participated.

1896

1900

1900 Paris Games

These were the first modern games featuring female athletes. Women made up 2.2% of participants. 

1900

1964

1964 Tokyo Games

Women made up 13% of participants at the Tokyo Games. 

1964

1984

1984 Los Angeles Games

Women made up 23% of participants at the Los Angeles Games.

1984

1996

1996 Olympic Charter

Promotion of women becomes a mission of the IOC and is enshrined in the Olympic Charter. 

1996

2012

2012 London Games

The London Games were known as the “women’s games” because, for the first time, every country had a female participant. Women participants accounted for 44% of competing athletes. 

2012

2020

2020 Flag Bearers

Following a rule change allowing one male and one female athlete to jointly carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony, 91% of National Olympic Committees had a female flag bearer. 

2020

2022

2022 IOC Commissions

50% of the members of IOC Commissions positions have been held by women since 2022.

2022

2024

2024 Paris Games

First gender equal games in terms of participation. Out of the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games, 5,250 will be men and 5,250 women. 

2024