Sebastian Coe, the President of World Athletics, has promised to help the Kenyan government fight against violence toward women, called gender-based violence. This problem has hurt many people in Kenya's sports community.
Two famous runners died because of this violence. Agnes Tirop once held a world record, and Rebecca Cheptegei was a mountain running champion. Their deaths showed how dangerous this problem is. More than 100 women were killed between August and October 2024 in Kenya.
The National Government Affirmative Action Fund worked with Athletics Kenya to study this problem in sports. They wrote a report called "RESET—END GBV & Femicide Athletes Sectorial Engagement." They made this report with Kenya's Ministry of Gender.
The report found many problems. Female athletes face money troubles, abuse from coaches and important people, and safety threats. Young female runners face the most danger.
To fix these problems, the report suggests spending more money on stopping violence before it happens. It says we need teaching programs about the issue and money skills for athletes. The report asks for better ways to report abuse and make coaches responsible. It says training camps need better security.
Mr. Coe believes World Athletics can protect athletes. He said this issue matters beyond just sports competitions. The World Athletics Council decided in December 2024 to make fighting gender-based violence a main goal.
Mr. Coe promised that World Athletics would work with Kenya to turn these ideas into real actions. He said, "World Athletics can provide support, raise awareness, and lend our skills. We will do this as the Kenyan Government and Athletics Kenya develop plans from the report."
Two famous runners died because of this violence. Agnes Tirop once held a world record, and Rebecca Cheptegei was a mountain running champion. Their deaths showed how dangerous this problem is. More than 100 women were killed between August and October 2024 in Kenya.
The National Government Affirmative Action Fund worked with Athletics Kenya to study this problem in sports. They wrote a report called "RESET—END GBV & Femicide Athletes Sectorial Engagement." They made this report with Kenya's Ministry of Gender.
The report found many problems. Female athletes face money troubles, abuse from coaches and important people, and safety threats. Young female runners face the most danger.
To fix these problems, the report suggests spending more money on stopping violence before it happens. It says we need teaching programs about the issue and money skills for athletes. The report asks for better ways to report abuse and make coaches responsible. It says training camps need better security.
Mr. Coe believes World Athletics can protect athletes. He said this issue matters beyond just sports competitions. The World Athletics Council decided in December 2024 to make fighting gender-based violence a main goal.
Mr. Coe promised that World Athletics would work with Kenya to turn these ideas into real actions. He said, "World Athletics can provide support, raise awareness, and lend our skills. We will do this as the Kenyan Government and Athletics Kenya develop plans from the report."
