The British charity have written to the IOC welcoming the expected decision to include women's boxing in the 2012 Olympics but claimed that women are still being treated unfairly, particularly around the availability of medals.
 
Sue Tibballs, the chief executive of WSFF, said: “The IOC needs to take action if it’s to reach its stated goal of 50-50 participation.

"Women’s boxing at London 2012 would be a great step forward but women are still losing out in other Olympic sports.

“In Beijing 165 medals were available to men versus 124 to women.

"If we’re to achieve a fair playing field, the numbers should be equal.

"Women were first allowed to compete in the Olympic stadium in 1920; 90 years on, we hope London 2012 will show real progress for sportswomen.

“The difference in medals available also leads to large gender differences in the number of athletes competing at Olympic Games.

"At the Beijing Games 1,704 more men than women competed.”

Pendleton, the Olympic sprint champion, expressed her anger after the Olympics in Beijing that she was unable to compete in more events, claiming that she had been denied opportunities available to her male team-mates like Sir Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins.

The WSFF claimed that it recognises that it may not be practical for there to be parity within each sport, but that equality should be achieved across the whole programme of sports.

Having the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London gives Britain an opportunity to show leadership in these issues, it said.

In addition to the medal and athlete equality, WSFF believes there are other outdated traditions surrounding the Games which should be changed by the IOC.

Some of its suggestions include:

• The IOC and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to ensure that the women of each of the world’s nations are represented at London 2012. Saudi Arabia for example has yet to send a woman athlete.

• Ensure that ceremonial and sports entertainment is carried out in a way that present gender-neutral images. For example, teams of cheerers and dancers should include both men and women.

• Medal ceremonies hosts and hostesses to represent the diversity of the British population.

• Have more women in key decision making roles. Only one of 18 LOCOG board members is a woman.

In February Britain's Olympics Minster Tessa Jowell launched a drive drive for equality in sports for the London 2012 Games.

She wrote to senior British officials calling on them to lead a campaign to help them end "gender discrepancies” in the Olympic and Paralympic rules.

Jowell wrote: "It will be an embarrassment for London 2012 if there isn't an equal number of events for men and women at the Games.

"They have to be the same.

"It's an embarrassment in this day and age that there is a discrepancy between male and female events.

"We're not living in the dark ages here."