Following the 4th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in Jordan this week, participants formulated an Action Plan that stated as its first priority "to seize upcoming opportunities to promote gender equality." The IOC now has a unique opportunity to make history in 2010 - having the first Olympic Games with gender equality. This can be achieved by adding a single event - women's ski jumping.

Ski jumping (including its sister event Nordic Combined) remains the only Winter Olympic activity that excludes women. By reevaluating its exclusion and taking into account recent strides in the level of development, the IOC would unquestionably be recognized and applauded for its leadership and upholding its Charter to "encourage support and promotion of women in sport at all levels and structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women."

IOC President Jacques Rogge's recognition of the importance and significance of technical competence being a critical measure of acceptance is understandable. Based on technical merit, women's ski jumping now equals and is comparable to other peer events such as women's Skeleton, Bobsleigh and Luge. During the 2006/2007 season, there were 83 women from 14 nations competing in Ski Jumping at the elite level. Compare this to 39 women from 12 nations competing in Skeleton, 26 women from 13 nations competing in Bobsleigh, and 45 women from 17 nations competing in Luge.

Additionally, at the meeting in which Women's Ski Jumping was left off the program, the IOC voted to accept Women's Ski Cross - an entirely new event despite the fact that there were only half as many women and Ski Cross competitions as Ski Jumping. At the time of inclusion, Ski Cross competitions took place on only one continent, compared to Women's Ski Jumping that had competitions taking place on three continents.

The women are not asking for a new event - just to add the other half of an existing event that has been in the Olympic Winter Games since 1924. In 1991 the IOC added a requirement that any new event added has to include women, but in ski jumping, women have been grandfathered out.

Vancouver 2010 is the right place and the right time for the IOC to make history. Canada has some of the most stringent equal rights laws of any country, and Canadians are proud of their multiculturalism. It is also against Canadian federal and provincial law to spend money on facilities that discriminate against women.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has now become involved with this issue, and Government officials will soon be meeting with President Rogge to discuss the matter.

The IOC insists that this is not about gender discrimination, but about technical merit. By overlooking the existing level of expertise of the women jumpers and continuing to exclude them from being able to compete at the highest level alongside their male counterparts, the IOC has opened the door to claims of gender discrimination, and holding the jumpers to a higher standard than other women's events currently on the program.

The time is now! The recently completed ski jumps at the Vancouver Olympic Park would require no modification as women use the identical jumps as men. The IOC should provide the leadership to address the issue, examine the facts, and add a single women's event to the 2010 program.

Women are now competing at the elite level in 17 countries and over a thousand girls and young women are jumping in those countries. They want to live the same dream as their male counterparts - to have a chance to stand on the podium. The sport is mature. Strong leadership by the IOC will unquestionably take it to the next level. Expecting these women athletes to do this alone goes against everything the Olympic movement stands for.

By promoting the values of the Games, while demonstrating a commitment to uphold the charter on all levels, reinforces the greatness of the Olympic movement. By making this historic decision, the IOC and the Olympic movement will have something magnificent to celebrate in 2010. For the very first time since its beginning, with the recognition and addition of a single women's event, the Olympic Winter Games will have achieved the goal of equality for all.

Op Ed is a weekly column of opinion and ideas from Around the Rings. Comments, as well as guest columns are welcomed: comment@aroundtherings.com