International Olympic Committee scraps gender equality, diversity and inclusion panel in major reshuffle

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is eliminating its Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission, as the organization undergoes cultural changes under its new president Kirsty Coventry. Under Coventry, the most notable change came earlier this year, when the IOC explicitly banned biological males from women's sports.

This week's cuts come as part of a restructuring that will replace 12 permanent advisory bodies with smaller working groups assembled to address specific issues.

Fridays announcement comes months after the IOC adopted new eligibility rules reserving womens Olympic events for biological females beginning with the 2028 Games, a policy addressing a central issue in the debate over fairness and safety in womens sports.

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The IOCs Advisory Committee on Human Rights is also being discontinued, alongside commissions covering sustainability, technology, education and commercial partnerships. The organization said the changes followed more than a year of consultation and review.

According to The Associated Press, the overhaul is a streamlining and cost-cutting measure that leaves 19 committees in place. The outgoing groups typically included between 10 and 30 members who gathered annually in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC said in an official announcement that the new arrangement would enable "more targeted engagement on key strategic priorities and policy development." Its Athletes Commission, Ethics Commission, Audit Committee and other institutional bodies will continue operating.

Under President Kirsty Coventry, the IOC has already used a smaller expert group to examine eligibility for womens competition. According to AP, the panels membership was kept confidential, and the review proceeded outside the gender equality and inclusion commission now being eliminated.

The resulting policy, announced March 26, requires a one-time screening for the SRY gene, which is typically associated with male sex development. It excludes transgender women from female Olympic events and also affects some athletes with differences in sex development, with limited exceptions. The rules do not apply retroactively or to recreational sports.

Coventry defended the policy as necessary to protect competition.

"It would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category," she said when the rules were announced. She also emphasized athletes dignity, access to counseling and medical guidance.

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The policy aligns with President Donald Trumps push for sex-based eligibility in womens sports. His February 2025 executive order d