Knowledge and Research Agenda

Gender Based Violence against Women and Girls in Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport

Proposed Research Areas For Further Inquiry

In the strategic period 2024 – 2026, the Global Observatory is focusing on the thematic topic of Gender Based Violence (GBV). Violence against women and girls is a form of gender-based violence and is a major challenge to the achievement of Gender equality and inclusion across the world.

The Global Observatory aims to support researchers, policy makers, and practitioners with the insights, capacity, and connections to collaboratively and impactfully address violence against women and girls in and through sport. One key aim of the GO is to motivate inquiry on topics that can contribute to addressing the challenge of violence against women and girls in sport.

Informed by consultations of our stakeholders and by the work of the Inclusive Data Charter, UNESCO, SVRI, WHO, OHCHR, and Centre for Sport and Human Rights among others, we have learned that there are several areas of research on GBV/VAWG in PEPAS which can urgently benefit from inquiry and knowledge sharing.

We propose that stakeholders undertake research on topics that contribute to:

  1. enhanced understanding of the problem of violence against women and girls, its manifestation and conceptualization;
  2. examining the environment of sport as a context in which violence against women and girls occurs;
  3. assessment of the interventions that are crafted to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
  4. development of the knowledge, learning systems, methodologies, and research practices on violence against women and girls in sport.

Research Areas and Topics to Explore

1. Definitions and interpretation of concepts within sports context
  1. How are concepts of gender-based violence described in policy frameworks and programmes?
  2. How do they connect or not with broader legal, cultural frameworks and practices?
  3. What are the institutional actions / inactions that are considered violence against women and girls?
2. Contextual conditions in addressing safeguarding
  1. What conditions of competitive eSport should be considered to ensure safeguarding and protection from VAWG?
  2. What encounters of violence do women experience in their roles in sport including: leadership, media, medicine, law, and business among others?
  3. Assessment of implications of shifts in state political ideologies on VAWG policy and service interventions
3. Assessment of the interventions that are crafted to prevent and respond to gender based violence and / VWG
  1. To what extent do governments apply the broad legislation and policies on GBV and/VAW to the sports context?
  2. What is the efficacy of state commisions of inquiry, hearings, and assessment committees on GBV and/VAW in sport?
  3. How do case management processes implement ethics of care?
  4. How do community sport organisations mainstream safeguarding into their operations?
  5. What are the successes of safeguarding officers and groups at community and/ mega sports events?
4. Development of knowledge, learning, methodologies, and research practices on gender-based violence in sport
  1. Approaches to research that include perspectives of children
  2. Assessment of implementation of standards and other frameworks, accountability tools
  3. Measuring impact of outcome-based financing for outcomes related to GBV and/VAWG
  4. Mapping financial investment in research and knowledge on GBV and/VAWG
  5. Anti /De colonial and intersectional approaches to research and knowledge systems and practices

These questions are shared to encourage inquiry that contributes to deepening knowledge on violence against women and girls in PEPAS settings. We invite you to take these and use them for your research projects or to stimulate dialogue and knowledge sharing.

Call for Contributions: We invite your comments and contributions to this list. We welcome you to get in touch with us to explore collaboration on research and knowledge projects.

Potential Research Topics for Students

Are you a graduate student looking for potential research topics for your thesis project? Here are some broad topics to consider:

  1. Assessment of perceptions of safe and inclusive sport and physical activity among immigrant women and girls in specified country/locality.
  2. Prevention and response mechanisms implemented in higher education- based sports programmes/clubs.
  3. Identification of forms of interpersonal violence against women and girls and related responses in context of adventure sports or eSports.
  4. Review of safeguarding policies and practices of after school/ holiday sports clubs and camps for adolescent girls and boys.
  5. Media analysis of communication campaigns on preventing or responding to interpersonal violence against women and girls in context of competitive sports events (Euros, Paris 2024, Africa Games, World Championships etc).
  6. Evaluation of financial resource distribution and use in International Federations related to addressing interpersonal violence against women and girls.
  7. Review utility of AI tools to track and inform response to online violence against women and girls in sport.
  8. Review of UN member country periodic reports inclusion of sport contexts in their accountability on actions to fulfil obligations of UN conventions related to violence against women and girls (eg CEDAW, CRC).
  9. Assessment of concept and outcomes of impact investment approach to resourcing sport and physical activity.

Call for Contributions

We invite your comments and contributions to this list. To contribute or share feedback

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We welcome graduate students and researchers to get in touch to explore ideas for research projects: RD@goges.org