Sports Ministry to form committee to resolve women complaints

NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry today decided to constitute a high level committee to resolve the grievances and complaints of women sports persons in India.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel said the committee under the chairmanship of Joint secretary Sports will comprise athletes, advocate, senior officer of MYAS and sports journalist -- all women.

Goel said women athletes, if they will have any complaint can approach the committee for their grievance redressal. He said his ministry follows a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment.

The Minister said his ministry provides equal assistance and incentives to both male and female athletes and there is no gender discrimination for training etc.

He said Sports Authority of India in its Special Area Game Scheme has provided training to 807 women sports persons out of total 1862 sports persons.

On the occasion of the International Women Day, the Sports Ministry organized a conference on 'Women and Sports in India to deliberate upon various issues for encouraging more women to take up sports.

The daylong discussion was focused on creation of safe spaces for girls athletes and women coaches, zero tolerance towards sexual harassment in sports complex, inclusion of gender sensitization modules in coach training modules, women representation in sports institutions, federations and other sports bodies and gender parity in terms of support to women athletes.