Violence against Women and Girls - Press conference by Special rapporteur

Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem said, “Violence against women and girls in sport is a serious, systemic and systematic human rights issue that demands immediate attention at all levels.”

Addressing reporters today (8 Oct) on Violence against Women and Girls in sport, Alsalem explored the forms, causes and consequences of violence against women and girls in sports, including sexual violence, coercion, gender pay gap, gender stereotypes, patriarchal structures, abusive coaches, and the general absence of robust policies and mechanisms to address abuses and protect victims.

She said, “Women and girls in sport face multiple forms of violence - and I outlined them in the report - economic forms of violence, physical, psychological, coercive control, online violence and also for children, girls, they face neglect, particularly in some sports such as gymnastics.”

She also said, “The report also describes the most common perpetrators of violence and their accomplices, which include state and non-state actors. So, I speak about coaches, professional colleagues, family members, managers, spectators, policy makers. And I assert within that conversation that states can also be considered complicit when they fail to prevent, prosecute and sanction acts of violence against women and girls in sport.”

She continued, “Their ability to play sports in condition of safety, dignity and fairness has been further eroded by the intrusion of males who identify as female in female only sports categories and spaces.”

She concluded, “Impunity fosters the culture of silence and injustice, and that is brought about in part by the autonomous regulatory frameworks of sports organizations that we have, which non sufficiently incorporated human rights lens or framework in the work, and they tend to prioritize reputation and winning over justice and accountability to victims.”



The Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective.


Liberals on Poilievre’s stance on Iran, Conservative privilege motion

Ministers and Liberal MPs speak with reporters on Parliament Hill as the federal party holds its weekly caucus meeting. Ministers Mélanie Joly (foreign affairs), Rob Oliphant (parliamentary secretary to foreign affairs minister) as well as MPs Fayçal El-Khoury and Ben Carr comment on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s support for a pre-emptive Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Joly, Oliphant and El-Khoury also face questions on the federal government’s efforts to evacuate Canadian citizens from Lebanon.
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Karina Gould (government House leader), François-Philippe Champagne (innovation), Jean-Yves Duclos (public services) and El-Khoury comment on negotiations with the Bloc Québécois to reach an agreement to ensure the survival of the minority Liberal government.
Gould, Champagne, Duclos and Francis Drouin also discuss the Conservative privilege motion on obtaining government documents pertaining to Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
Champagne, Duclos also comment on the Senate’s study of Bill C-282, the Bloc Québécois private member’s bill on supply management. The Bloc has made support of the government contingent upon the passage of this bill.
Pascale St-Onge (heritage), Randy Boissonnault (employment), Marc Miller (immigration), Steven Guilbeault (environment), Sean Casey, Yvan Baker, Anthony Housefather and Carr also respond to questions on topics ranging from changes to the CBC’s mandate, the government’s response to Jasper wildfire recovery effort and the rise in antisemitism.