On 23 September 2026, the European Union–Council of Europe joint project “Active and Equal: Women’s Health in Sport across Generations” was featured during Septembre Bouge initiative led by the French Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life in Strasbourg.
The event included dedicated information stands raising public awareness of women’s health in sport and encouraging direct engagement with participants. It also featured a high-level round table entitled, a high-level round table entitled “Adolescentes et sport : le grand décrochage” (Adolescent Girls and Sport: The Great Drop-Out) held at UGC Strasbourg. The discussion brought together institutional leaders, representatives of the sports movement, researchers and health stakeholders to explore the factors contributing to girls’ disengagement from sport during adolescence.
Organised by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) in partnership with CROS Grand-Est and CDOS du Bas-Rhin, the round table featured contributions from Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, President of the CNOSF, Vincent Roger, Ministerial Delegate for Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (Sport-Santé), Gilles Erb, President of the French Table Tennis Federation and CNOSF Vice-President for Territorial Development, Clotilde Truffaut, National Delegate of Groupe MGEN and Stanislas Frossard, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport of the Council of Europe (EPAS). The session was moderated by Louise Klethi, with concluding remarks delivered by Professor Gilles Vieille-Marchiset of the University of Strasbourg and former Director of the Sports and Social Sciences Laboratory.
Understanding why adolescent girls drop out of sport
Discussions were guided by the key findings of the MGEN study “Adolescentes et sport : le grand décrochage”, which highlights the multiple barriers leading teenage girls to give-up sport. While female participation in organised sport in France remains slightly above the European average, drop-out rates rise sharply during adolescence. The study identifies four major obstacles:
- Insufficient consideration of female physiology and body specificities
- Social and institutional environments that often place undue psychological pressure on young girls
- Accessibility barriers, both in terms of facilities and sporting offers tailored to girls’ needs
- A dominant competitive culture that can discourage participation rather than foster long-term engagement
Contributing to the panel, Stanislas Frossard emphasised that these national findings closely mirror data collected at European level throughout the joint EU-Council of Europe projects ALL IN (2019) and ALL IN PLUS (2024). These systemic drop-out patterns require to be addressed by closing research gaps and translating knowledge of female physiology into practical measures and evidence-informed sports policies that support girls’ continued participation in sport.
Raising awareness of women’s health in sport
Throughout the event, the Sport Secretariat presence at the stands provided platform to engage directly with the public, young athletes, and grassroots sports leaders to understand the importance of taking female physiology into account in sports practice at every stage of life. Visitors learned about the activities of the Sport Division, EPAS and the Sport Conventions, Active and Equal joint project, its objectives, the significance of breaking taboos around puberty and menstrual health in sport, while promoting safer, more inclusive sporting environments for girls and women across Europe.
The EU – CoE joint project Active and Equal focuses on women’s health across four biological life stages. Working with six partner countries - including France, the project will test practical tools and strategies to make sporting opportunities more responsive to women’s health and physiological needs, will equip coaches with relevant knowledge and promote supportive environments.
