Birmingham 2022 focuses on women setting ‘benchmark’ for future Games, says Fraser
British two-time world medallist Donna Fraser hopes Birmingham 2022’s efforts to elevate female athletes will “set the benchmark” for future Commonwealth Games.
Birmingham 2022 will be the first major multi-sport event to award more medals to women than men.
The Games features women’s Twenty20 cricket for the first time and a record number of mixed events.
The finals of the women’s cricket, netball and hockey are also set to take on August 7 for a day organisers are billing as “Super Sunday”.
Fraser, head of inclusion and engagement at Birmingham 2022, believes “small fundamental changes” will help to alter people’s attitudes towards women in sport and hopes the approach to this year’s Games will not be a one-off.
“This is a blueprint.
“We have set the benchmark and hopefully future Games will make it even better and that will become the norm.
“I always say that my goal is to make my role redundant so if everything is great in diversity and inclusion then you won’t need people like me driving that agenda because it will be the norm.”
Last night’s women’s 100 metres final was held after the men’s race in a bid to put female sprinters at the centre of the athletics showpiece at Alexander Stadium.
“If you are talking about gender equality you have to make those decision to do that,” said Fraser.
“It was discussed today that having the women’s 100m final as the last event is rare in an athletics programme.
“Those small fundamental changes just change the mindset for spectators so they can see this is the blue-ribbon event which is great.
“We need to do more of those pigeon steps and things will become a lot better.”
“Hopefully we have set the benchmark for future Commonwealth Games,” Fraser told insidethegames.
Fraser, a double world 4x400m relay bronze medallist, was among the speakers at an event, called “A Celebration and Call to Action for Women & Sport”, staged at New Zealand House in Birmingham.
The event was run by the International Working Group on Women & Sport and the Commonwealth Games Federation.
It was an opportunity for global leaders to discuss what more can be done to achieve gender equality in sport and the benefits of doing so.
“When you have got events like this you know the support is there to keep driving forward,” said Fraser.
“That’s really important and there are those networks that are always talking about the subject.
“We just need to keep building and really drill down to those issues and address them.