Handisport: there are not enough women!

Virginie Phulpin 07:25, March 08, 2022

Today is March 8, International Women's Day.

And the Paralympic Games are taking place right now in Beijing.

The opportunity to talk about the place of women in disabled sport.

In France, the observation is clear: there are not enough women, and this is also one of the challenges of Paris 2024.

The example of Cécile Hernandez should make us think and act.

The Frenchwoman won the gold medal in Paralympic snowboardcross yesterday.

A remarkable victory in all respects.

She is 47 years old, she has been suffering from multiple sclerosis for 17 years, she has already been on the podiums in Sochi and Pyeongchang, and yet she still fought like a lioness to win.

And when I say she fought, that's not an image.

Cécile Hernandez normally surfs in the LL1 category, ie athletes with a severe lower limb disability.

But 3 years ago he was told that for lack of female fighters, his category would disappear from the games.

After a constant struggle, she learned just before the games that she could finally compete in the category of less disabled snowboarders.

And she won! 

We can say that it is a model of tenacity.

Of course we are in awe.

But there are enough that these sports are wonderful examples without anything moving after.

The absence of diversity in disabled sport, and in particular in France, is no longer possible.

18 tricolor athletes are in Beijing.

And among them, only 2 women!

Marie Bochet and Cécile Hernandez make our colors shine, of course, but they are a little alone... And France has been lagging behind in terms of diversity in disabled sport for years, when countries like Canada or Austria arrive at near parity.

There is already a problem at the world level, if the fighters were not numerous enough in the category of Cécile Hernandez, it concerns everyone.

But there is also a concern at the French level.

So why ?

What always emerges as an explanation,

it's that we can't get women more involved in the clubs.

Yes, women dare less than men to go to sports facilities when they have a disability.

But we are not going to stop at this explanation.

It is mainly because the structures are not adapted, in any case not enough, because these women are not sufficiently encouraged to come and play sports.

It requires a more determined policy and more means.

This is how things will move.

It must be one of the challenges of Paris 2024. We cannot revolutionize everything in two years, but at least change gear.

So that Cécile Hernandez is no longer a superheroine, but just a sportswoman who wins and makes others want to follow her.

women are less daring than men to go to sports facilities when they have a disability.

But we are not going to stop at this explanation.

It is mainly because the structures are not adapted, in any case not enough, because these women are not sufficiently encouraged to come and play sports.

It requires a more determined policy and more means.

This is how things will move.

It must be one of the challenges of Paris 2024. We cannot revolutionize everything in two years, but at least change gear.

So that Cécile Hernandez is no longer a superheroine, but just a sportswoman who wins and makes others want to follow her.

women dare less than men to go to sports facilities when they have a disability.

But we are not going to stop at this explanation.

It is mainly because the structures are not adapted, in any case not enough, because these women are not sufficiently encouraged to come and play sports.

It requires a more voluntary policy and more resources.

This is how things will move.

It must be one of the challenges of Paris 2024. We cannot revolutionize everything in two years, but at least change gear.

So that Cécile Hernandez is no longer a superheroine, but just a sportswoman who wins and makes others want to follow her.

in any case not enough, because these women are not sufficiently encouraged to come and play sports.

It requires a more determined policy and more resources.

This is how things will move.

It must be one of the challenges of Paris 2024. We cannot revolutionize everything in two years, but at least change gear.

So that Cécile Hernandez is no longer a superheroine, but just a sportswoman who wins and makes others want to follow her.

in any case not enough, because these women are not sufficiently encouraged to come and play sports.

It requires a more determined policy and more means.

This is how things will move.

It must be one of the challenges of Paris 2024. We cannot revolutionize everything in two years, but at least change gear.

So that Cécile Hernandez is no longer a superheroine, but just a sportswoman who wins and makes others want to follow her.