FIE Strengthens Its Push for Gender Equality Across Fencing
By Beth Knox
Published 28/08/2026 at 17:38 GMT+1
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The 2026 FIE Senior World Championships saw new World Champions crowned and another chapter added to fencing’s history. But while the action on the piste captured the headlines, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) is looking beyond equal prize money to create lasting opportunities for women across every level of the sport.
Gender Equality in Fencing
Image credit: Getty Images
For another year, the championships featured equal prize money for male and female athletes, with the FIE distributing more than $1.02 million across all individual and team events. Every medallist, regardless of gender, competed for the same financial rewards.
FIE Interim President Abdelmoneim El Husseiny said the policy reflects the federation’s athlete-centred approach, placing competitors at the heart of its long-term strategy. However, the FIE also recognises that gender equality cannot be measured by prize money alone.
A Broader Vision for Women's Development
Over the past year, the FIE has expanded its focus through the work of its Women in Fencing Council. The Council’s newly adopted 2025–2028 Strategic Plan sets out a clear roadmap to increase female participation across every aspect of the sport.
Rather than focusing solely on athletes, the strategy aims to address areas where women remain underrepresented, including coaching, refereeing and leadership.
Key initiatives include a Global Mentorship Pilot Programme, a federation-wide gender equity audit, the launch of the Faces of Women in Fencing campaign to celebrate female role models, and grants to help female coaches attend the World Championships for the first time.
The Council also plans to expand mentoring networks, develop educational opportunities and provide practical resources that national federations can use to strengthen gender equality within their own programmes.
The long-term ambition is to ensure women are represented not only among the world's leading athletes, but also in the roles that shape the future of fencing.
Addressing the Coaching Gap
One of the federation’s immediate priorities is increasing the number of women coaching at the highest level.
While female athletes continue to enjoy success on the international stage, elite coaching remains heavily male-dominated. To help address that imbalance, the FIE earlier this year hosted its Second International Women’s Coaching Seminar in Rio de Janeiro.
The week-long programme brought together 13 coaches from 13 countries, who completed more than 40 hours of technical training, tactical analysis, leadership development and practical coaching sessions alongside the Junior and Cadet World Championships.
What Does This Mean for Fencing?
Equal prize money sends a clear message about fairness on the piste, but the Women’s Council’s strategy demonstrates that the federation’s ambitions extend much further.
Rather than treating equality as a milestone that has already been reached, the FIE is positioning it as an ongoing commitment. By investing in coaching, leadership, education and mentoring, the federation hopes to create a sport where women have equal opportunities not only to compete, but also to coach, lead and influence the future of fencing for generations to come.
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