The Swede has held several senior roles within the International Olympic Committee (IOC), including as vice-president between 2004 and 2008 and the influential chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang.

Almost 49 per cent of the athletes participating at this year’s Olympic Games in history will be women, according to the IOC quota allocation, making it the gender-balanced Games in history.

Lindberg wants to see that kind of gender-balance when it comes to the administration of sport.

“International Women’s Day is an occasion to celebrate the achievements of women in sport but also to raise awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve equality,” she said.

“The IOC has led the way with the IOC Gender Equality Review Project and NOCs (National Olympic Committees) around the world have made excellent progress but of course we all recognise that there is more to be done."

ANOC is currently reviewing initiatives to further improve gender balance on its Executive Council.

As it stands there is at least one female representative per Continent on the Executive Council.

In addition, ANOC fully supports the calls made by the IOC within the newly published Olympic Agenda 2020+5 for NOCs, International Federations and Organisation Committees to implement the IOC Gender Equality and Inclusion objectives for 2021-2024 around five focus areas of participation, leadership, safe sport, portrayal and resource allocation).

“This year’s theme is an important reminder that gender equality in sport goes beyond gender equality on the field of play," Lindberg said. 

“We have a collective responsibility to do more to provide equal opportunity for women and men to succeed across all levels of sport, whether it as athletes, leaders of organisations or as referees, coaches or other officials."