The federal government is developing a comprehensive code of conduct aimed at protecting athletes from abuse and harassment at all levels B次元官网网址� from the playground to the Olympic Games.
Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan announced Thursday the development of a model code of conduct for sport in Canada and the creation of a new gender equity secretariat to address abuse, harassment and discrimination in sport.
Duncan met with provincial politicians last week to discuss plans before the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta. She established a gender equity task force midway through 2018 to start looking into changes.
B次元官网网址淪ince being appointed minister of sport a year ago, IB次元官网网址檝e worked hard to put athletes and children at the centre of everything we do from the playground to the podium,B次元官网网址� Duncan said. B次元官网网址淭his includes first and foremost keeping them safe from abuse, discrimination and harassment. Nothing is more important to me. No athlete or child should ever experience abuse and my heart breaks for those that have suffered.B次元官网网址�
Duncan said she was upset by recent stories about Canadian athletes being subjected to abuse, including a CBC investigation published earlier this month which reported that B次元官网网址渁t least 222 coachesB次元官网网址� were convicted of sexual offences from 1998 to 2018. The report also said 34 other cases of accused coaches are currently before the courts.
Last week in Red Deer, Duncan announced the federal government, along with each province and territory, had signed a declaration to tackle and prevent harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport.
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Duncan said Thursday that the federal government has committed $209,000 toward a Safe Sport Summit Series hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada to develop the code. The series will culminate in a national summit in Ottawa in the spring.
The government said in a release that the code of conduct will serve as a model that can be used in all sports at all levels, from national sports organizations to community teams. This code will serve as a basis for the management of abuse, discrimination and harassment cases and as a model for consistent sanctioning for those who breach the code.
The gender equity secretariat will be tasked with developing, implementing and monitoring a gender equity strategy, with the hope that a greater participation of women in leadership roles, coaching and officiating would contribute to greater safety in sport.
B次元官网网址淲e need everybody on board for this,B次元官网网址� Duncan said. B次元官网网址淭his is the next important step and itB次元官网网址檚 working with (Coaching Association of Canada chief executive officer Lorraine Lafreniere), who has the mandate to work with sport across the country at all levels.B次元官网网址�
The CAC said B次元官网网址渢his is huge and monumentalB次元官网网址� and initial reaction from the various governing sport bodies and its coaches has been positive.
B次元官网网址淭his is the opportunity to hear from them, get into what a code might look like, see what the issues are for capacity for some of our smaller jurisdictions B次元官网网址� and find those solutions so parents and participants understand thereB次元官网网址檚 one code that people are held accountable to B次元官网网址� coaches, officials and administrators,B次元官网网址� Lafreniere said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e starting and we hope to succeed.B次元官网网址�
Lafreniere said the codeB次元官网网址檚 success will be dependent on its implementation by the individuals involved, including participants.
B次元官网网址淧arents need to not ask just what equipment to buy, but ask what their safe sport policy is, whatB次元官网网址檚 the rule of two, which is the biggest deterrent so that no one adult is left alone with one child, what are your training, what are your screening policies,B次元官网网址� said Lafreniere. B次元官网网址淧arents are part of the solution, in fact they are the solution because the more they ask for it the more we will do it.B次元官网网址�
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Lafreniere acknowledged change wonB次元官网网址檛 take place overnight, but there has been success with various governing bodies of sport working together towards a common goal.
B次元官网网址淐oncussion is a great example of how all governments came together to create change and we see that model in this as well,B次元官网网址� Lafreniere said.
Lafreniere said the focus needs to be placed on B次元官网网址渢he most threatening, high risk and egregious behaviours to take that protection as the first step, along with the future steps of maltreatment and other changes that are needed to keep our young participants safe and striving.B次元官网网址�
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press
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