Will Olympics help bring about gender equality?

The idea of creating an Olympic ‘legacy’ in the UK is something that has been discussed a lot among Games organisers, politicians and sports bodies before, during and after London 2012.

But as well as getting more people interested in sport and fitness, another legacy left behind by the Games could be one of greater awareness of gender equality issues, both in the workplace and wider society.

One of the many memorable moments of Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony was the recreation of a suffragette march, with 50 performers in Edwardian dress, led by Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, walking through the Olympic Stadium carrying placards calling for votes for women.

And the Guardian reports that the experience has led many of the performers to develop a greater interest in modern day women’s rights issues.

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In fact, they are now planning to take part in a real march later this year.

A number of the performers will be taking part in a rally being held by UK Feminista on October 24th.

The rally will see thousands of participants march on parliament to urge MPs to stop the “erosion of women’s rights” and to campaign for issues such as greater gender equality in the workplace.

One of the opening ceremony suffragettes, 57-year-old Lesley Covington, told the newspaper: “Why shouldn’t we take this opportunity? Women are still under-represented in parliament and the upper echelons of business; childcare is a huge issue.

“I want to get involved and I want to make a difference. You can change things – you have to believe that, or you would never try.”

And it is hoped that the performers’ actions and the Olympics as a whole, which saw women from every nation participating for the first time, could help bring greater attention to gender equality issues.

“When we see things like women’s boxing it is important, because it starts to shift perception about what women should and shouldn’t do. The Olympics is a real platform to make it more than just symbols and this rally is really building on that,” said Ms Pankhurst.