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- Africa has the lowest female representation at the Olympics
- Paris 2024 is the first time gender parity has been achieved
- Two African countries are not sending any female athletes
The 2024 Paris Olympics marks the first time in history that gender parity has been achieved, 124 years after women were first allowed to compete in 1900.
While globally, the average Olympic team is evenly split between men and women, Africa has the lowest representation of women among all continents, with women comprising only 44% of the average team.
There are, however, notable exceptions. Countries such as Angola, Cameroon, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Zambia are sending teams where women make up two-thirds of the athletes.
In contrast, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia will have no female competitors at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
There was a spike in female participation at the Games in 1928, when women could compete in athletics and gymnastics. Since 1991, the Olympic Committee mandated that all new codes that apply for recognition must have female competitors.
— 23 July, 2024Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for more charts like this
