VISTA

VISTA is the first EU-wide initiative to measure, analyse and address gender-based violence in organised sport through a harmonised, survivor-informed evidence base that informs the co-creation of and practical tools. By combining robust research with participatory co-creation, the project will deliver solutions to reduce gender-based violence and foster safer, more inclusive sport. Despite increasing safeguarding efforts, gender-based violence in sport remains pervasive, under-reported, and insufficiently addressed. No EU-wide system exists to capture its scope or to inform prevention with evidence. VISTA responds by generating new knowledge on the prevalence, patterns, and impacts of gender-based violence in sport, grounded in the lived experience of those affected and at risk. A mixed-method design, including an EU-wide survey, qualitative research (interviews, photovoice, case studies), and expert workshops, will provide the most comprehensive picture to date of gender-based violence in European sport. To ensure holistic understanding of risk and response, the project will also draw on expertise in perpetrator behaviour to inform prevention strategies. Building on this foundation, VISTA will co-create, test, and validate tools with athletes, coaches, sport organisations, and policymakers. Guided by the holistic 7P framework (prevention, protection, prosecution, provision of services, partnerships, policy, and participation) – validated in earlier EU actions and by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – these tools will strengthen policy and practice for long-term systemic change through research, training, recommendations, and dissemination. By translating EU-level commitments on safeguarding and gender equality into measurable actions, VISTA will advance the EU Gender Equality Strategy, the EU Work Plan for Sport, and the Istanbul Convention, creating lasting improvements in safety, inclusion, and well-being in sport.