The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the composition of its commissions for 2020 on Thursday. It confirmed the year-on-year progression towards gender equality, with 47.7 per cent of positions across the 30 commissions now held by women. The percentage was 45.4 in 2019.
"It is another all-time high and a concrete manifestation of one of the key focuses of the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms – to encourage the whole Olympic Movement to advance gender equality both on and off the field" stated the IOC in a press release.
IOC 2020 COMMISSIONS
WBSC Vice President Beatrice Allen, Gambia, is a Member of the Public Affairs and Social Development Through Sport, Sustainability and Legacy, Olympic Education and Women in Sport Commissions.
Yumilka Ruiz, Cuba, a Member of the WBSC Olympic, Baseball5 and Women's Development Commissions, is in the IOC Sport and Active Society Commission.
WBSC shares and supports the goal of gender equality on and off the field. This is reflected in the composition of the 13-member WBSC Executive Board, which features 30.7% female representation including Allen and WBSC Secretary-General Beng Choo Low (Malaysia), who was ranked number 17 by Forbes amongst the most powerful women in sports in 2018. The WBSC staffing list features nearly 40% women, while the composition of the Boards of the Baseball and Softball Divisions and various commissions also reflect this commitment, including the Athletes Commission where there is 57% female representation.
WBSC organizes and sanctions women's and men's tournaments both in baseball and in softball and staged the first ever mixed gender baseball softball tournament - the WBSC U-12 Mixed Softball World Cup - in Tainan City last year.
Baseball5, the new urban version of baseball/softball, is also played by mixed teams.
