Women's sport: Nathalie Péchalat "not really for quotas"

Invited Monday morning of Europe 1 on the occasion of the week of women's sport, the president of the French Federation of Ice Sports, Nathalie Péchalat, was rather optimistic about the evolution of mentalities in sport , in particular as regards the accession of women to positions of responsibility. 

INTERVIEW

"Even if it is less popular than men's sport, it encourages real practice".

Invited Monday in Europe 1 on the occasion of the week of women's sport, Monday morning, the president of the French Federation of Ice Sports (FFSG), Nathalie Péchalat, was rather optimistic about the evolution of mentalities in sport for more gender equality.

"I am not frankly for the quotas" of broadcasting sport on television, she said.

"I would have the impression of making statistics, whereas we are there to work all together." 

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Towards a limitation of the mandates of Federation presidents? 

The Federation that she chairs is "a little singular, admits Nathalie Péchalat readily, since we have a majority of women, at the level of the licensees but also of the executive office or the national technical direction".

But since this weekend, the former skater is no longer the only woman at the head of an Olympic Federation in France - she was joined by Isabelle Jouin, at the head of the Federation of field hockey.

First proof, according to her, that things are moving.

For them to go faster, the president of the FFSG is campaigning for a time limit on the mandates of presidents - which does not exist today.

Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Sports.  

"And there are also other positions which are opening up to women, more and more", underlines Nathalie Péchalat, citing the examples of Sarah Ourahmoune, vice-president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), or even by Marie-Amélie le Fur, President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee. 

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"A place where we can listen and deal with problems"

As for the fight against gender-based and sexual violence, a corollary of a move towards greater gender equality in sport, the president of the FFSG underlines, here again, the progress made.

Within his Federation, shaken by a scandal which led to the resignation of Didier Gailhaguet last year, ethics was "the easiest issue to manage, since we started from a neutral base".

"We made codes of conduct, we reformed the disciplinary commission, we appointed integrity referents ... We made a whole circuit to collect the testimonies of victims or witnesses and that it be treated, via an ethics committee, which he too was created, ”she lists. 

"It's not just the coach, it can be anyone," Nathalie Péchalat finally underlines, calling for the debate to be broadened.

"We have a lot of the cliché of the bad trainer but it's not always like that. There are also concerns between athletes, especially through hazing. The idea is really that the sports field is a field. where we can listen and deal with these issues. "