Rio Olympics 2016: 5 instances when the Olympics became a medium for social change

3) Women’s inclusion in Olympics in 1900

Women were part of the Olympics in 1900

Women in the 19th century were mostly forbidden from watching sports, let alone participating in them. But 1900 Olympics brought a new dawn in gender equality when 22 women competed in 5 sports - tennis, sailing, crocquet, equestrianism and golf.

In the last Olympics held at London, women accounted for 44% of the athletes who participated, which shows how far women have come in something where they were never expected to excel.

Besides, the IOC has also increased the number of women’s events on the Olympic programme. The move of introducing women in sports in 1900 Olympics in Paris has surely was a big step towards gender equality and their social and cultural empowerment.