A/HRC/32/33 70. Specific issues also arise for women in connection with sport and the obligation to protect. There is an alarming broader trend within certain societies towards the controlled feminization of women in the context of sport, including through violence and reprisals against female sportspeople. Women in certain countries, simply by engaging in sport and physical activity, are seen as challenging traditional notions of gender roles in society and become victims of hostility and ostracism by the general population. 71. These attempts to control the behaviour of women through violence, and to dictate what an acceptable body image and acceptable activities are, represent clear violations of their human rights. States should take steps to protect the rights of female athletes, for example through the enforcement of criminal laws against perpetrators of violence and through the development of sensitization and education initiatives to combat negative images and attitudes around women’s participation in exercise and sport. 72. States may not directly deny women access to sporting facilities, as this would be in breach of the obligation to fulfil. Nevertheless, it is the case that, in some States, there is a failure to create conditions wherein women can participate effectively in sport and physical activity. Traditional cultural or societal norms may mean that women cannot exercise in public spaces, or are inhibited in doing so. Some women may even risk physical harm or assault when exercising in public. States should take active steps to create safe, gendersensitive spaces in which women can exercise, appropriate to the country context; these may range from the installation of secure changing facilities to the enforcement of criminal laws that are breached in the sporting context. 73. Moreover, as women’s motivations for engaging in exercise often differ from those of men, greater attention to acceptable forms of organized sport may increase female participation. Research has indicated that women frequently place more importance on social aspects of physical activity than on performance outcomes.58 In order to promote physical activity and sport, States should inform their policies with research, and adopt best practices adapted to the country and to the preferences of women, with meaningful participation by women in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes. D. Elderly people 74. In its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognized the importance of an integrated approach to the health of older persons, including preventive, curative and rehabilitative health treatment. Promotion of participation in sport and physical activity is among the most cost-effective interventions that States can undertake in order to prevent morbidity and mortality among older persons and to ensure that they achieve the highest possible standards of physical and mental health. 75. Physically active older people have lower rates of all-cause mortality than their sedentary counterparts, and experience many health benefits, including healthier body mass and improved bone health, and lowered risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Moreover, regular exercise plays an important role in preventing depression and cognitive decline.59 76. In addition to the above-mentioned biomedical benefits, participation in organized sport may have significant benefits for older adults as regards increased social interaction 58 59 VicHealth, “Female participation in sport and physical activity” (2015). WHO, Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. 17