Human Rights in Sports

Abstract

This article, inspired by the activities surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, examines both the development and potential of human rights initiatives in sports. Following a general discussion of the development and status of human rights, we turn specifically to the issue of human rights in sports, both in terms of the human rights of athletes and in terms of a more basic right to participate in sport and physical activity. We provide examples of campaigns against racism and apartheid, for gender equity and for athletes' rights; and we consider examples of some current strategic campaigns for children's and workers' rights in relation to sport and physical activity, and against the attack on public support of sport and physical activity. We conclude with some suggestions for carrying out campaigns for human rights in sport.

Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine Position Paper: Abuse, Harassment, and Bullying in Sport

“…49-61 Furthermore, literature on human rights approaches to abuse is emerging internationally [62][63][64]. …”

Playing for freedom: Sócrates,futebol-arteand democratic struggle in Brazil

“…83 Other authors call for human rights in sport itself, stating that 'human rights cannot be achieved without all sports participants fully enjoying those rights'. 84 They point to a range of human rights concerns -such as women's rights, good sports facilities and quality sport programmes for all -that must be part of the progressive social agenda of the sporting world.…”

From promotion to protection: human rights and events, leisure and sport

“…After all, as many have argued, the advancement of human rights protections through sport remains fraught with controversy (Donnelly, 2008;Kidd & Donnelly, 2000). Recent years have seen widespread rights claims centred on child abuse (Brannagan & Giulianotti, 2015;David, 2005;Taylor, 2017), gender pay-gaps (Kelner, 2017), allegations of child trafficking and labour exploitation (McGee, 2012) as well as the exclusion of disabled people, racial discrimination and related intolerance, homophobia, even denied access to the right to play.…”

“…For instance, work on sport and human rights (Donnelly, 2008;Giulianotti, 2004;Giulianotti & McArdle, 2006;Kidd & Donnelly, 2000;Schneider, 2004;Singh, 2002;Taylor, 2000), including youth sport (David, 2005) and sport [mega] events (Adams & Piekarz, 2015;Schofield, Rhind & Blair, 2017;Van Rheenen, 2014). Despite highlighting the right to participate in sport, and showing how sport can serve to promote human rights, authors also demonstrate how competitive sport endangers the rights of child and adult athletes in terms of their autonomy, privacy and civil liberties.…”