A new policy brief by Sport Social Solutions reveals significant gaps in how gender-based violence in sport is identified, reported and addressed in North Macedonia.
Gender-based violence (GBV) in sport is a widespread but largely invisible problem in North Macedonia. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, sexual and gender-based harassment occurs across all levels and disciplines of sport, affecting between 14% and 73% of participants. Yet in North Macedonia, sport remains almost entirely absent from national policies designed to prevent and combat GBV.
The policy brief, produced by Sport Social Solutions Skopje as part of the EU-funded “WE CARE: Together against sexual and gender-based violence” initiative, paints a concerning picture of the current situation. While the country has made notable legal progress including ratifying the Istanbul Convention in 2017 and passing a dedicated Law on Prevention and Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in 2021, none of these frameworks explicitly address sport as a high-risk environment.
A system with critical gaps
The brief highlights three major areas of concern. First, the vast majority of sports federations and clubs in North Macedonia operate without codes of conduct, internal GBV prevention policies, or clear procedures for reporting incidents. Second, there are no independent complaints mechanisms, leaving athletes with few safe options to speak up. Third, institutional responsibilities are fragmented and unclear, meaning that even when incidents occur, the system is poorly equipped to respond.
These structural failures are compounded by deep cultural barriers: a pervasive culture of silence, fear of career consequences, and widespread distrust of institutions mean that GBV in sport remains massively underreported.
The broader societal context adds further weight to the urgency. According to North Macedonia’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022–2027, 60% of women in the country consider violence against women to be common, and nearly 1 in 5 women personally know someone who has experienced domestic violence.
What needs to change
The document puts forward concrete recommendations for a range of actors. The Ministry of Sport is called upon to develop a national action plan specifically addressing GBV in sport and to make state funding conditional on clubs and federations adopting safe sport policies. Sports organisations are urged to establish internal reporting protocols and appoint designated protection officers. The Macedonian Olympic and Paralympic Committees are called on to make GBV prevention policies a condition of membership and participation in competitions.
Civil society organisations are also highlighted as essential partners, not just in advocacy and monitoring, but in providing direct support to victims and developing prevention programmes alongside sports institutions.
Gender-based violence in sport is a systemic problem that requires a coordinated, long-term response. The legal foundations exist, what is missing is the political will to apply them specifically to sport, and the institutional infrastructure to make protection real in practice.
The policy paper is available in Macedonian here: https://sportsolutions.mk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RBN.pdf
This policy paper was created within the project “WE CARE: Together against sexual and gender-based violence”, funded by the 🇪🇺 European Union and implemented by the National Network against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, in partnership with HERA, Coalition Margins and Reactor.