Saudi Arabia/IOC: Women’s Olympic Debut Only First Step – Passion of the Present

Announcements that Saudi Arabia is likely to send women to participate in the 2012 London Olympics for the first time are a positive step toward ending the country’s pervasive discrimination against women in sport. However, Saudi Arabia is still in violation of the Olympic Charter due to its systemic violations of the right for women to participate meaningfully in sport in the kingdom, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should use its leverage to help affect lasting change for Saudi women.

(New York) – Announcements that Saudi Arabia is likely to send women to participate in the 2012 London Olympics for the first time are a positive step toward ending the country’s pervasive discrimination against women in sport, Human Rights Watch said today.