Over 700 participants from close to 100 countries were present at the 6th World Conference on Women and Sport “Lead the Change – Be the Change” in Helsinki, Finland, from 12-15 June.
Among the speakers at the opening ceremony on Thursday was International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who underlined his commitment to increasing the participation of women at all levels of the Olympic movement.
After describing the increased participation of women at the Olympic Games and how the IOC achieved its target of having 20 per cent of its leadership roles filled by women by 2005, Bach insisted the IOC 'must do more' to bring women into sports leadership roles at all levels.
“We have seen what women can do on the field of play and now we need their intellect, energy and creativity in the administration and management of sport as well.”
'As a sports organisation we cannot force countries to change their legislation, but what we can do is give a shining example to the world of how a society based on the core belief of equality should operate.'
“To make real progress in our quest for gender equality and for open access to physical activity for women and girls worldwide, we need closer collaboration with governments, educational institutions, and the private sector.”
The four-day conference was orgranised by the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) and Valo, the Finnish Sports Confederation, with the support of the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), under the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The IWG is responsible for the promotion and administration of the 1994 Brighton Decalaration on Women and Sport, which commits signatory sport organisations to accelerating the process of change to redress the imbalances women face in their participation and involvement in sport. In 2013, European Athletics and 37 of its Member Federations reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality by signing the Declaration.
Towards the end of the conference, participants celebrated the achievement of positive changes experienced by women and girls in the field of sport and physical activity since the adoption of the Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport in 1994.
They called to reinforce the Declaration and for the conclusions and recommendations on the conference themes to be endorsed as guidance in order to accelerate positive change.
European Athletics promotes the development of women leaders in the sport through its support for the Women in World Athletics (WIWA) programme and other educational measures. It also recognises the contributions of women leaders at the national level through the biennial European Athletics Women’s Leadership Awards.
For more information on the conference visit https://iwg--gti-org.directo.fi/#Home