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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been able to address the need to further develop educational and training programmes targeting women in sport. It established a programme of regional seminars and special assistance through Olympic Solidarity for female administrators, coaches, technical officials and journalists in the national and international sports movement.

The IOC currently works, in cooperation with Olympic Solidarity and National Olympic Committees (NOCs), to ensure that female representation in NOCs' delegations at the Olympic Games is a reality for all countries. This might take time for some of them, considering the low level of female participation in sport, and specific supportive measures will be envisaged.

The IOC, in cooperation with Olympic Solidarity, has established a programme of regional seminars for female administrators, coaches, technical officials and journalists in the national and international sports movement. Through these practical seminars, the IOC strives to achieve the following main objectives:

• - To evaluate progress made for women in sport in the region, share experiences and success stories, and identify existing challenges to be addressed to reach gender equality in sport.
• - To discuss how to increase the number of women in leadership positions in sports organisations.
• - To consolidate existing relationships and networks of women in sport and relevant partners, and build new partnerships.
• - To stimulate the development of policies/strategies and new field projects for girls and women by NOCs.
• - To stimulate the creation and/or further support the work of NOCs' Women & Sport Commissions.
• - To provide participants with up-to-date information about IOC policies and activities for women in sport, Olympic Solidarity assistance programmes, and other partners' resources.

• Read the Report: IOC / ONOC Regional Seminar on women and sport, 29 June - 1st July 2005, Auckland, New Zealand
• Read the Recommendations: IOC sub-regional seminar on women and sport, Istanbul, Turkey, 27-29 October 2005

Through Olympic Solidarity, the NOCs have access to a series of assistance programmes:

• Scholarships for athletes
• Scholarships for talented young athletes
• Scholarships for coaches
• Training programme for sports administrators

While these programmes are open to men and women alike, particular efforts are made to ensure that a growing number of women benefit from them. In addition, a special "Women and Sport" programme has been created to help NOCs in developing countries in particular to implement other types of projects in the field of women and sport, including for example gender equality activities, targeted communication campaigns, national research programmes, national seminars and participation in meetings. This programme also serves to finance NOC participation in the IOC regional seminars and in the IOC World Conferences on Women and Sport.

• Learn more about Olympic Solidarity World Programmes