Achieving Gender Parity at Paris 2024: A Landmark Moment in Sports

The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to make history by achieving numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes. This monumental milestone symbolizes progress, equality, and a steadfast commitment to inclusion at the largest sporting event in the world. From a mere 5% participation of women in Paris 1924, this leap to 50% in Paris 2024 marks a significant achievement that took 100 years to accomplish.

The journey has been quite a long one. While in Paris 1924, women participation was around 5%, it didn’t really show a steady rise till the late 1970s. It reached the double-figure mark in Helsinki 1952, when women participation in the Olympics reached 10.5%. The rise has been gradual, but it was not until Montreal 1976 that the numbers rose to the 20% mark. For the first time, women's participation in the Olympics crossed the 30%-mark in Atlanta 1996. 34% of the participants in Atlanta 1996 were women. Since then the rise on number of women participation has been considerable, and in Paris 2024, the number has ticked the 50% mark. For the first-time ever, the Games will see an equal participation of male and female players.

Indian women have played a pivotal role in this journey towards gender equality in sports. Over the years, seven Indian women have etched their names in the annals of Olympic history by winning medals:

Karnam Malleswari: Bronze in Weightlifting (women's 54kg) at Sydney 2000.
Saina Nehwal: Bronze in Badminton (women's singles) at London 2012.
Mary Kom: Bronze in Boxing (women's flyweight) at London 2012.
PV Sindhu: Silver in Badminton (women's singles) at Rio 2016 and Bronze at Tokyo 2020.
Sakshi Malik: Bronze in Wrestling (women's 58kg) at Rio 2016.
Mirabai Chanu: Silver in Weightlifting (women's 49kg) at Tokyo 2020.
Lovlina Borgohain: Bronze in Boxing (women's welterweight) at Tokyo 2020.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Indian women contributed significantly to the nation’s medal tally, winning 42.85% of the medals. This remarkable contribution underscores the growing influence and success of female athletes in India's sporting arena.

(Image Source: Times of India)

Looking ahead to Paris 2024, several prominent Indian women athletes are set to compete, including PV Sindhu, Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Manika Batra, Aditi Ashok, and Mirabai Chanu. Among the trailblazing Indian athletes set to compete in Paris 2024, there are Reliance Foundation women athletes Lovlina Borgohain, Manika Batra, and Jyothi Yarraji who are set to showcase their talent yet again.

Lovlina Borgohain, a stalwart in boxing, clinched a bronze medal in the women’s welterweight category at Tokyo 2020. Manika Batra, a pioneering figure in Indian table tennis, has broken barriers and established herself as one of the top players in the sport, inspiring a new generation of athletes.

However, it is Jyothi Yarraji who stands out remarkably. Making history as the first Indian hurdler to qualify for the Olympics, she achieved this feat with a national record of 12.78 seconds in the 100m hurdles.

All eyes will also be on Reetika Hooda who will be flying to Paris for this edition of the Olympics to compete in Wrestling. Even before she could take the flight, she has scripted her name in the history books as she is the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the Olympics in the Heavyweight category. Her recent form definitely raises the hopes of a medal from wrestling which could be a landmark moment in the history of women wrestling in India.

As we celebrate the centennial journey towards gender parity at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the remarkable achievements and contributions of Indian women athletes stand as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the enduring spirit of progress and equality in sports.