Of the 26 Summer Olympic sports federations who are organizing competitions in London, boxing is the only one without female participants.

The IOC said in a statement that its program commission will "make a recommendation to the executive board," which is set to make a decision at its meeting Aug. 13 in Berlin.

The proposal appeals to a key part of the Olympic charter which calls for gender equality.

The federation wants a total of 40 female boxers competing in London, with eight in each of five weight categories. They range from 47 kilograms (104 pounds), comparable to the men's light flyweight class, up to 75 kilograms (165 pounds), equal to the men's middleweights.

If the proposal succeeds, the AIBA would likely have to find space for the women within its current Olympic quota of 286 boxers.

The AIBA could reduce the standard 28-boxer entry across the 11 weight categories for men or eliminate a medal class.

The federation has governed women's boxing since 1994, establishing its women's committee a decade ago and holding world championships and regional events.

A previous bid to get women's boxing accepted in 2005 in time for the Beijing Games failed because the IOC judged it was not a true global sport.