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Successful 5th World Conference on Woman and Sport in Los Angeles
Over 800 delegates from 135 countries gathered last week for a three-day World Conference on Woman and Sport, entitled "Together Stronger - The Future of Sport". With the 2012 London Games just around the corner, there could hardly be a better time to revaluate the results of the efforts made by the IOC to promote gender equality, both on and off the competition fields. The results of those efforts are best noticed in the increased female participation in sports, but in the fact that with the introduction of women's boxing, for the first time in Olympic history the number of male and female sports in London will not only be equal, but there will also be an additional "women only" sport - synchronized swimming.
If great progress can be seen in sports competitions, outside the competition venues men still heavily outnumber women. One of the main focus areas of the conference was to find ways to encourage women to get more involved in the leadership aspects of sports.
"We need more women leaders throughout the Olympic Movement, not only to prove our commitment to gender equality, but to take advantage of their brains, their energy and their creativity," IOC President Rogge stated the first day of the conference.
During the three-day intensive program of panels and dialogue sessions, a great number of topics were covered. From education to health, partnerships to development, sponsorships to media - different aspects in which women's voices are still overpowered by men were covered and solutions were discussed.
"We are all here for the same reason," said IOC Women and Sport Commission Chair Anita DeFrantz. "to find ways to ensure that the voice of women is heard in the decision-making bodies of sport."
In the Opening Ceremony, six women from around the world were awarded the IOC Women and Sport Award for their outstanding roles in getting more women involved in sport as athletes, administrators, leaders and as members of the media.The trophies were presented to: Manisha Malhotra, India (IOC World Trophy); Peninnah Aligawesa Kabenge, Uganda (IOC Trophy for Africa); The Bradesco Sports and Education Program and Center, Brazil (IOC Trophy for the Americas); Zaiton Othman, Malaysia (IOC Trophy for Asia); Aikaterini Nafplioti-Panagopoulos, Greece (IOC Trophy for Europe); and Roseline Blake, Cook Islands (IOC Trophy for Oceania).
As a result of the conference, "The Los Angeles Declaration" - a series of recommendations aimed at promoting gender equality in sport and using sport as a tool to improve the lives of women around the world - was unanimously approved. The two main themes of the declaration are: The need to bring more women into management and leadership roles and the need to increase collaboration and partnerships, especially with UN organizations, to promote gender equality.
The conference declaration acknowledged that the Olympic Movement's steady progress towards gender equality on the field of play had not been matched in sports leadership positions. It called for more resources to support women in sports leadership roles and urged sports organizations to follow the IOC's lead by adopting policies to advance gender equality.
"I can pledge and I can promise that we will do what is needed", President Rogge said in his closing remarks.
Contributed by Ana Jelusic