Strasbourg, 02/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted on 27 April a recommendation whereby it deplores the persisting discrimination toward women and girls in sporting activities, over ten years after adoption of the European charter on sport. The Assembly notes the persistence of stereotypes, the lack of framework structures and support for women athletes, the difficulty of reconciling family and professional life, the difficulty of reinsertion into a working life, insufficient media coverage for sports practised by women and limited financing. In these conditions, she invites ministers to promote the participation of women in sport, to carry out an analysis of national sport policies and to draft a European strategy in favour of women and sport. During the debate, French disabled champion Béatrice Hess noted that there are many exclusively masculine sports such as boxing and rugby, discrimination that, she believes, is fostered by the media which does not focus as much on women's sport. Also, the decision-making posts and coaching posts within sports federations are always held by men, she deplored.