The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has remained steadfast in its commitment to building a gender-equal, diverse, and inclusive sport for all. With a vision to make table tennis accessible to everyone, the ITTF has consistently strived to create an environment where players, officials, and fans from all backgrounds feel valued and empowered.
GEDI in Table Tennis
In its ongoing commitment to fostering gender equality, diversity, and inclusion within table tennis, ITTF has implemented a series of impactful initiatives and achieved significant milestones over the years. The following are some milestones that reflect ITTF’s dedication to creating a more inclusive and diverse environment within the sport.
ITTF GEDI Task Force
In 2023 the ITTF established a GEDI Task Force under the lead of ITTF President Petra Sörling, ITTF Gender and Diversity Commissioner Hajera Kajee and ITTF Executive Vice President Wahid Oshodi. Each continent has a representative in the Task Force:
- Africa: Mambo Annick Lydie Juliana (Ivory Coast)
- Americas: Marisol Espineira Jimenez (Peru)
- Asia: Rachel Ramos (Philippines)
- Europe: Chiara Colantoni (Italy)
- Oceania: Anthony Moore (Australia)
In August 2023, the GEDI Task Force adopted its first Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, outlining concrete steps to address gaps and promote inclusivity across the organisation.
Commitments and Responsibilities
To formalise its commitment to advancing gender equality and diversity, ITTF signed the United Nations Sports For Generation Equality Framework in 2024. This framework serves as a blueprint for collaborative efforts between ITTF and UN Women, aimed at leveraging the transformative power of sports to challenge societal norms and achieve sustainable development outcomes that benefit women and girls worldwide. Through these collective efforts, ITTF reaffirms its dedication to creating a more equitable and inclusive future for all within the realm of table tennis and beyond.
GEDI Action Plan 2025 – Key Priorities:
With “Governance and Sustainability” being one of the three pillars in the renewed ITTF Strategic Plan, the GEDI Action Plan, decided by the ITTF Executive Board and adopted by the task force, presents the ITTF Group’s commitment to embracing diversity. It further ensures that the sport is prepared for the future by addressing a crucial social aspect of sustainability: Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
The plan has six strategic goals:
- Undertake efforts to promote women’s leadership and gender equality in governance models
- Undertake efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in and through sports
- Undertake efforts to close the gap in investment in women’s sport and promote equal economic opportunities for women and girls
- Undertake efforts to promote women’s equal participation and bias-free representation in sports media, including communications to eliminate harmful gender stereotypes and to promote positive role models
- Undertake efforts to support equal opportunities for girls in sports, physical activity and physical education
- Agree to monitor and publicly report on progress on an annual basis
Download the ITTF Group GEDI Action Plan here. The document is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish
You can view the IOC Gender Equality Review Project here.
Safeguarding
Any safeguarding incidents that you are a victim or witness should be reported to the ITTF Integrity Officer: [email protected] or the International Olympic Committee’s Integrity and Compliance Hotline.