Tuesday, November 5th 2025
Athens, Greece – Lively discussions at our autumn Info Days
Three POWER consortium members held their national Info Days in the autumn, and all of them successfully raised awareness about our project and contributed to the discussion on women’s portrayal in the sports media in their respective countries.
BAIS from Hungary and ANCE from Greece held their Info Days in September, in conjunction with their European Week of Sport campaigns.
BAIS organised their event on 27 September at the campus of the Hungarian University of Sports Science. Bence Garamvölgyi and Mariann Bardocz-Bencsik from BAIS introduced the project and shared some insides from the POWER research, and encouraged everyone to read the research report and spread it among relevant stakeholders. Later on, Dr. Andrea Gál, associate professor at the Hungarian University of Sports Science gave the participants an overview of women athletes’ portrayal in the Hungarian sports media, and then, European champion swimmer, Ajna Késely, shared her first-hand experience with the sports media through answering the questions of sports journalist Csilla Gy. Szabó.
The Info Day concluded with an open discussion on the topic, where Andrea Temesvári, former professional tennis player and some other participants engaged in a vibrant discussion.
“It was amazing to be in the room with so many like-minded people, who are truly interested in our project and want to actively contribute to the fair portrayal of women athletes in the media. The presence of tennis legend Andrea Temesvári and that Ajna Késely fit our event into her busy schedule show that this is a very important topic, but also that we still have a lot to do”, said Bence Garamvölgyi from BAIS.
Our consortium leader, ANCE from Greece, held their event on 30 September at Impact Hub Athens. The Info Day gathered 30 attendees, including journalists and NGO professionals working on gender equality and sports. Two inspiring speakers were featured: Maria Trakada, triathlete & content creator and Denia Kopita, content creator, skater & footballer. Both shared openly about their personal stories with sexism and the stereotypes that often try to confine women in sports into ‘predefined ‘boxes’.
"It was an incredibly productive and inspiring event! We had the opportunity to present our research findings on the portrayal of women athletes across six countries. The event also sparked an engaging dialogue that bridged data-driven insights with the personal experiences of two young and talented professionals in their respective fields. The discussion was both thought-provoking and deeply insightful, encouraging participants to reflect on the realities women athletes face today," was the impression on the day of the POWER team at ANCE.
Mundus Bulgaria was the last POWER partner to hold their Info Day in 2025. Their event took place on 16 October at the community space Magnit in Sofia. The event gathered mostly students from journalism and sports management, who were eager to explore how gender representation in sports can be improved.
One of the attendees–a young female athlete–shared her frustration with the general ignorance and lack of awareness about how stereotypically female athletes are portrayed worldwide, sparking a lively discussion about the lack of recognition of this issue within Bulgarian society and the media landscape.
“The participants showed genuine curiosity and engagement, reminding us how many people identify with the objectives of POWER – and how many more still need to open their eyes to the importance of fair and balanced media portrayal of female athletes”, reflected Emily Kadir, project manager at Mundus Bulgaria.
You can find our comprehensive research report and the individual national reports here.
Ends
About the POWER Project
POWER stands for “The Portrayal of Women Athletes in Sports Media,” a collaborative effort by six organizations from six EU countries. Over 24 months, we aim to reshape how women athletes are represented in the media by promoting unbiased and inclusive narratives, empowering equity in representation, fostering lasting impact, and driving true change in the portrayal of women in sports. Our mission is rooted in fostering gender equality, combating stereotypes, and inspiring the next generation of athletes and media professionals to embrace diversity and fairness.
For further information:
Athens Network of Collaborating Experts (ANCE), 69 Vatatzi Str., Athens, Greece
Email: ance@ance-hellas.org
Phone: +30 21 0821 5044
