Mission
The City of Luxembourg champions gender equality in sport, as recommended in the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life.
In its 2023–2029 Mission Statement, the College of Aldermen set out the City's main commitments:
- Sports event organised for women, along with talks and roundtable events on the issue, are supported and promoted.
- Sports on offer must take account of the interests of both boys and girls.
The aim is to:
- Ensure every citizen, no matter their gender, has equal access to sports facilities, and can practise whichever sports they choose
- Promote women's sport to serve as inspiration for other women and girls
- Dismantle gender stereotypes, so that everyone can practise their chosen sport, irrespective of their gender
- Reduce comments and aggression aimed at women* and LGBTQIA+ people engaging in sport in the public arena. Everyone should be able to practise their sport whenever, wherever and however they wish.
The collective "Egalité F/H dans le sport"
The collective "Égalité F/H dans le sport", of which the City of Luxembourg is part, brings together the Luxembourg municipal authorities who established the first International Women's Sports Day in Luxembourg.
The initiative is supported and coordinated by the Conseil National des Femmes du Luxembourg (Luxembourg National Women's Council – CNFL).
International Women's Sports Day
International Women's Sports Day is an international celebration first instituted in France in 2014. In light of the dearth of media coverage of women's sports, France's Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, in collaboration with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, launched International Women's Sports Day, which aims to increase the visibility of women's sports, and work towards a better representation of women's sports in the media.
International Women's Sports Day aims to change the game and address the various forms of inequality which still persist in sport:
- numerous studies have shown that fewer women than men actively take part in a sport; often, this is due to gender-based stereotypes and an unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities,
- stereotypes and prejudices still surround certain women's sports (such as football, rugby and boxing),
- women's sports events are given inadequate coverage by the media,
- in sporting institutional structures (clubs, federations or the like), there are fewer women than men in managerial and decision-making roles.
2025
- A video portrait of the winner of the 2024 Elsy Jacobs Prize, Ankie Timmers, was put together by the Service Communication et relations publiques (Communications and Public Relations Department). A video portrait, broadcast for International Women's Sports Day. Watch the video on Instagram
- A "Literary Tuesday" was held on 25 February 2025 at the Lëtzebuerg City Bibliothèque on the theme of equality and inclusion in sport. Further information
2024
- A roundtable event on the role of women in sport in Luxembourg, held at Cercle Cité (January 2024).
- A large-spread article in the January issue of City magazine on women's sport, highlighting the engagement on the part of the City of Luxembourg's clubs. Read the article
Elsy Jacobs Prize
The Elsy Jacobs Prize is an incentive for equal opportunities in sport. It is given to a sportsperson who has made particular efforts to promote equal treatment of men and women in sport. In 2023, for the first time, the award was split between two winners: a national winner, and a local winner from Luxembourg City.
2024 – Ankie Timmers
Ankie Timmers, an internationally renowned powerlifter, has been training for many years at the multipurpose sports facility in Hamm. She won silver at the World Championships in 2018 and gold in the European Championships in 2019. In addition to her sporting prowess, which has won her many titles, Ankie Timmers is known and recognised for her tireless efforts to promote powerlifting among women. Today, she is head of women's sports at the Powerlifting & Weightlifting Federation Luxembourg.
2023 – Jeanny Lauer, CSL
Jeanny Lauer, who has served as secretary and treasurer of the athletics club CSL Athletics for 25 years, is devoted to the cause of sportsmen and sportswomen in competitions, aiming to bring about equality.
Gender Equality Day – Ladies Tennis Masters Luxembourg
Supporting the tournament and working hand in hand with the IWTP (International Women's Tennis Promotion) in the context of the Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters international tournament.
- Organising a round-table event entitled "Letz talk", focusing on gender equality, notably in sport, but also in show business (Amphithéâtre Coque).
- Organising tennis lessons for a Cycle 4 class of the City's elementary school, headed by prominent female tennis players.
Women's cycling festival
Supporting the Elsy Jacobs elite two-stage cycle race, with one stage being held in Luxembourg City, organised by the SaF-Zéisséng as part of the Elsy Jacobs women's cycling festival: Handling various outreach activities to raise the profile of women in cycling.
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