For Games with parity

Politique Internationale — The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will promote parity between the sexes. What does this first mean for you?

Brigitte Henriques — The statue of Pierre de Coubertin that stands in the entrance hall of the French House of Sport housing the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) reminds us of the commitment of the founder of the modern Olympics who relaunched the Games in 1896. At the same time, that of Alice Milliat, now right beside him, pays homage to a pioneer (1) who campaigned successfully so that women could take part in the Olympic Games athletics trials. That came about in 1936. The 2024 Paris Games, which aim to make this parity total, will continue to deepen the tendency towards feminisation at the highest level.

Until now, it could happen that some delegations turned up without the slightest woman or, in any case, with a feminine presence reduced to the strict minimum. That time is now past: if you consider that the evolution of society can be measured in the light of the place accorded to women, then today’s society, through sport, continues to make progress. As concerns parity in the Olympic Games, the symbolism carried by Paris 2024 is extremely strong.

P. I. — Before this decision was taken, where was France in terms of Olympic equality?

B. H. — From one Games to another, the figures vary but we average 60% of men and 40% of women. In 2020, after the two French teams, Olympic and Paralympic, were united under the same CNOSF banner, it was decided that each team would have two flag-carriers, a man and a woman. That was another step towards equality.

P. I. — The CNOSF is a perfectly identifiable participant. On the other hand, the full range of its missions is less well known.

B. H. — They are of two kinds. On the one hand, relations with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), of which the CNOSF is in some way the emanation on the French level; on the other, the representation of the French Olympic and Paralympic team. From this viewpoint, we are the representative of some 109 associated federations and members, the French Chess Federation being the most recent to become affiliated to the CNOSF.

Strengthened by this participation, the CNOSF relies on a considerable web: that is, 17 million registered members and regular athletes, 150,000 clubs, 3.5 million volunteers and 1 million supervisors. The density of this sphere and its diversity are synonymous with a great wealth and they contribute to different activities in the service of our society. So, when firefighters conduct a rescue operation below ground, it is important to know that they are systematically accompanied by amateur potholers. There are many other examples, but suffice it to say that the disciplines brought together under the auspices of the CNOSF are at one and the same time part of our history – such as the Federation of Longue Paume which goes back to a sport that was already practised in the court of the kings of France – with at the same time strong territorial roots and constant interchange with other regions of the world.

P. I. — Is the CNOSF involved in politics?

B. H. — Let’s go through simply, without being exhaustive, the events that have just happened or that are going to happen in the coming years: a pandemic, the war in Ukraine, a presidential election campaign, three Olympic Games during my mandate (Tokyo, Beijing and Paris) … And I have omitted some. In these conditions, faced with the tumult of current events or scheduled events, how could politics be absent from the life of the CNOSF? My roadmap provides for six major areas of work: the first, which involves keeping our influence in the debate on the main orientations of sport, implies by definition maintaining close ties with public authorities. The others also require us to keep our eyes on the political levers. Whether it is the recovery from Covid, the development of the economic model of the federations, the preparation of Paris 2024 or even international relations, the political dimension is constantly present. And as for great educational or societal causes? These, which are obviously part of our priorities – with questions of health, diversity, the struggle against discrimination or sexual violence in sport – are, too, a political affair.

P. I. — Is the violence done to women sufficiently taken into consideration? It is hard to keep count of the serious excesses in the sporting world …

B. H. — Our creed on this point suffers no approximation: zero tolerance! In no way must we try to explain, justify or attenuate such violence. To act, the CNOSF officially created a dedicated commission at the beginning of this year: the Commission for the fight against sexual violence and discrimination in sport. This instance has as its mission to accompany all actors in the sporting movement, in direct contact with public and juridical authorities. It is co-chaired by Jean Zoungrana, the president of the French Federation of Canoeing, Kayaking and Paddle Sports, and by Catherine Moyon de Baecque (2), who knows better than anyone that such acts must not be passed over in silence under any pretext.

P. I. — You are the first woman elected as head of the CNOSF. What importance do you attach to this?

B. H. — Let’s repeat without pomposity that society continues to progress. There is a book that I recommend to everyone: The Most Beautiful History of Women (3). This work usefully reminds us that, as humanity dawned, nothing predestined women to be dominated by men. But two elements were to combine to overturn this situation: firstly, to reproduce, tribes understood fairly quickly that it was necessary to capture women from neighbouring tribes or else perpetuate inbreeding for a long time; next, the image of the woman suffered from a negative appraisal to which, for example, menstrual blood contributed. By comparison, men benefited from a flattering perception, a mixture of strength, purity, virility and wisdom. Starting in Antiquity, ideas were forged that were to survive for centuries … They are not to the benefit of women.

P. I. — From which stems the necessity to continue to make things progress …

B. H. — This passion has driven me since the time I was vice- president of the French Football Federation (FFF) in charge of feminisation. I am by the way delighted by the wonderful progression of numbers in women’s football: we were 20,000 registered in 1985, the 50,000 mark was passed in 2011, that of 100,000 in 2016 and we finally passed the 200,000 in 2019, just after the organisation of the women’s World Cup in France!

P. I. — Why did we have to wait so long before a woman could head the CNOSF?

B. H. — The scenario is fairly classic. Like in many other eco- systems, sport still offers too few posts of responsibility to women. Another obstacle is to be found in women’s own perception. They often consider themselves more at ease occupying the post of No2 than taking over the leadership. Unlike a man, they are less apt to take the limelight, less ready to promote their claims, less likely to seize opportunity immediately. This assessment is all the more regrettable in that women have all the capacity to play a leading role, to run a team, a company or any other body of scale. Today inside the CNOSF, the executive board is now at parity with 11 women and 11 men. This diversity is a source of wealth. The 18 CNOSF commissions are equally co-chaired by a woman and a man. They are composed of 60% of men and 40% of women, which makes for an encouraging share.

P. I. — It is obvious that the cause of women is very important to you …

B. H. — Since my election, I have also devoted myself to reducing some salary inequalities. A better place for women in professional circles is a long-term battle. The impostor syndrome that I recalled earlier is still very much alive. It contributes to the fact that women always have the feeling that they have more to prove than men. They are less likely to be forgiven, finally.

P. I. — You come from football. Was it not a hindrance as you came to grips with the Olympic universe, that is less concentrated on money, profits or business … Incidentally what gave you the taste for football?

B. H. — I came to football through heredity. In my family, everyone played football! I remember having to wait a bit before being able to join a club. At the time, it was impossible for very young girls. So I did gymnastics as I waited. Later, I had the luck to have an international career for 10 years. I have a passion for football anchored in my body: I never miss a match of the French team, be it male or female. Of course, football is in a world of its own, with its share of stars, media attention and astronomical numbers. But it is not only that: the FFF is a federation that has more than 300 employees and its social role is very important. The development of football in poorer neighbourhoods is a beautiful tool to teach people to live together and it shows just how far the practice of sport can structure a society. Football’s economic inner workings help consolidate the social impact. My ambition is to use my knowledge of this universe to develop support for other disciplines.

P. I. — Let’s look to the near future: what will make the 2024 Olympics a success?

B. H. — Several criteria come into consideration. Operational excellence is one: we expect Paris 2024 to have not a single false note in terms of organisation. The number of medals is another noteworthy gauge: French athletes must perform well. The standing of the Games in all senses of the word will come under close scrutiny: Paris will be the centre of the world, and whether on the cultural, economic or ecological levels, we must be up to the task. Finally, the last criterion targeted is the legacy of the Games: Paris the Olympic city will not disappear once the competitions are over. There will remain durable infrastructures, dynamics to serve a sporting nation, actors who will count in the public debate …

P. I. — How, concretely, is the CNOSF helping to shape this success?

B. H. — The levers for action are numerous. On a general level, we enliven the whole of the sporting movement within the framework of the law on sport of March 2022. This begins at the bottom with the promotion of sport in schools: the programme of 30 minutes of physical activity daily in primary schools will be rounded off by two hours more per week in junior secondary schools. For regular players, we are sponsoring the development of 5,000 new sportsgrounds between now and 2024. The construction and the maintenance of equipment are essential to the implementation of a sporting policy. These are some of the key outlines which must not obscure the very specific Paris 2024 initiatives such as the putting into place of Club France and the Supporters’ Club.

P. I. — What are these two clubs exactly?

B. H. — Club France is the nerve centre of the French team for the duration of the Games. That is where we celebrate the athletes who take home medals, where we introduce the federations and where we receive our partners. In Paris, Club France will be headquartered in the park of La Villette. It will be enhanced by – a novelty in 2024

– an exhibition of the Olympic movement, a project in the shape of an historical panorama of a movement that is unique, always celebrated and never static. For its part, the Supporters’ Club, as its name suggests, will strive to federate enthusiasm around French athletes and assemble the maximum of the French behind their national team. Transported by their encouragement, our athletes will also be able to benefit from what the Anglo-Saxons call the ‘home advantage’.

P. I. — As the last home straight nears before Paris 2024, do you feel the pressure rising?

B. H. — The pressure is already on! There’s nothing surprising about this: the event is so huge that we are all caught up in the emotion, the excitement and the impatience that accompany the Olympic Games and the build-up to them. The pressure is not just about strategic choices: the main orientations have already been defined with care. The fear is more centred on the small grains of sand that can sometimes jam the formidable mechanics. And we are in a mechanics of precision, with a demand for excellence. We have no room for error.