Women’s History Month It is a time to celebrate the amazing achievements of women throughout history who have helped shape our past and shape our future.
For decades, women with and without intellectual disabilities were often left on the sidelines. Today this reality is changing. since Eunice Kennedy Shriver When Special Olympics was founded, women were at the heart of the movement, and expanding equal access to sport remained a priority. The increased visibility of female athletes on the world stage means that girls and women Intellectual disabilities You don’t have to look far to see someone like him competing and leading.
Special Olympics is moving steadily toward achieving a 50:50 gender balance among athletes competing at the World Games. Exactly one year ago, in March 2025, the world came together Turin, Italy for the Special Olympics World Winter Games where 45.61 percent Of athletes and Unified partners It was female. This represents a 14 percentage point increase in female participation compared to 2017 World Winter Games in Austria.
With each World Games, Special Olympics moves closer to equal gender representation in all sports. the World Games 2023 in Berlin celebrate 48% of athletes are femaleAnd the tournament organizing committee The 2027 World Games in Santiago, Chileworks on Up to 50:50 participation for the first time.
This progress is not limited to competition. Throughout the movement, women lead as coaches, administrators, volunteers, board members, and staff. Women sports leaders speak on global stages. United Partners advocate for inclusion in their schools and communities. Mothers, sisters and mentors strengthen our movement, which reaches more than 200 countries around the world.
Join us this Women’s History Month to celebrate their stories and recognize how far we have come and the responsibility we carry forward.
