Managing the offerings of a sport also means making it accessible to everyone who might be distanced from it. Thus, Hanane Crosland is involved not only in gender equality but also in para hand, for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.
She also addresses the issue of incivilities, referred to as integrity at the French Federation, and the civic service program, which supports young people wishing to get involved in an association and dedicate their time to civic engagement.
About fifteen years ago, the vice-president of the French Handball Federation, Béatrice Barbusse, who is also a sports sociologist, highlighted sexism in sports. However, it was the association “Colosse aux pieds d'argile” founded by rugby player Sébastien Boueilh that truly made waves by denouncing sexual violence, harassment, and hazing in the sports environment.
This is when the State took up the issue and created tools to allow victims to testify and receive support. Since 2019, there has been the Signal platform. “A victim comes forward, and from there, the report is made to the Federation, which handles the case or forwards the information to the corresponding league, and we contact the club where the victim is registered. We direct them to local or national associations so that they, as well as the leaders and parents, can receive active listening and support throughout the judicial process,” explains Hanane Crosland.
The Ligue Occitanie de Handball has even decided to establish referents in each committee across the region, which includes 13 departments, as well as monthly video conferences to discuss these issues. "We have invited the national gendarmerie and the Family Protection House, which came to explain how the judicial process works and the good reflexes to have. They advised us to implement training on public speaking,” specifies Hanane Crosland.
An integrity seminar will be organized in June with all stakeholders to collectively decide how to raise awareness against violence, whether sexist, sexual, or physical.
The League is particularly supported on these themes of sexist and sexual violence, and inclusion by Make.org, which helps it seek partners, both financial and in terms of skills.
"It is not normal that in the sports environment, we can see such negative manifestations, violence, and incivilities. It should really be a place of well-being where one feels safe and wants to share experiences. My wish is that everyone, from different sports categories in the region, can come together to conduct a massive joint communication and say stop, we don’t want this anymore! That’s my dream,” concludes Hanane Crosland.
