Join WSI at the IWG Conference
WSI Actions at the IWG Wold Conference on Women and Sport
Join WSI at the IWG Conference in New Zealand!
Monday, November 14
- 16:00-16:45 NZST: "Sports diplomacy: Advancing gender equality, inclusion and diversity for girls and women with disabilities globally" (Dr. Becky Clark - WSI Board member)
Wednesday, November 16
- 8:00-8:45 NZST: "Visibility of women’s sport: Collective voices in the media" (Dr. Toni Bruce & Dr. Dunja Antunovic - WSI Board members)
- 9:00 - 9:45 NZST: WSI Workshop "Overcoming Resistance to Change – Maintaining the passion and determination to see Change through." (Deane Huffman, Dr. Kari Fasting, Dr. carole Oglesby, & Dr. Kanae Haneishi - WSI Board members)
- 9:00-9:45 NZST: "Impact of IWG in female sport participating in Botswana" (Game Mothibi - WSI member)
- 14:00-16:00 NZST: WSI Get Together
On-Demand: Lighting Talks
- LIPSTICK FOOTBALL: Mastering 8 Life Principles While Learning the Game of Football (Diana Weynand, MMA, MME - WSI member)
- Over Two-Decades of Effort on Empowering and Mentoring Japanese Women through Soccer (Marika Fukuta & Ayako Takematsu - WSI members)
- Policy Level Collaboration on Women and Sport between the Government of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Aya Noguchi - WSI members)
WSI Workshop: Overcoming Resistance to Change or The Reality of Change – Maintaining the passion and determination to see Change through.
Dr. Carole Oglesby (WSI Board member)
Dr. Kari Fasting (WSI Board member)
Dr. Kanae Haneishi (WSI Secretary General)
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 16 at 9:00-9:45 am NAST
In today’s world, we are becoming conditioned to instant results and answers to simple questions and problems. Information is available at the push of a button. Considering that it would takes over 30 years to see results on necessary factors in building a fair and safe place for girls and women within the sport sector is almost unimaginable. Yet, this is the case of gender equity and not only in sport but in society in general. This presentation will provide an overview of the advocacy efforts and results of the international women in sport movement from 1994 with the Beijing Declaration and the start of WomenSport International (WSI). We will highlight milestones achieved through the solidarity and collaboration of women in sports groups in providing opportunities for all girls and women to participate and benefit from sport and physical activity.
The presentation will look at different levels of intervention including global multi-governmental (United Nations), multi-sport via the International Olympic Committee and national government and sport organizations in practices to affect change. The use of topics such as gender-based violence, eating disorders and gender leadership status will provide as examples and demonstrate some achievements, challenges and future directions still challenging sport governance practices.
The focus will be on how to keep motivated and engaged in the struggle for change and continue to deal with resistance. The presenters will talk about their personal experience in the fight for changes using questions and answers form the audience. will As an ending the presentation will to look at the future of sport for women and girls and openly discusss challenges we are facing today with a centre on how organizations such as WomenSport International can play a role in continuing to push forward the rights and opportunities for women in sport.
Sports Diplomacy: Advancing Gender Equality, Inclusion and Diversity for Girls and Women with Disabilities Globally
Dr. Becky Clark (WSI Execuitive Board)
“Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire and unite people in a way that little else does.” Nelson Mandela
Girls and women with disabilities continue to face oppression and numerous discriminations based on gender and disability despite the passage of the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Also known as the Disability Treaty, it includes Articles 6 and 30, which specifically recognizes human rights, freedom, advancement and empowerment for girls and women with disabilities and defines rights in sport, physical activity and recreation. This targeted population is the most underserved, marginalized and poorest with a higher risk for gender-based violence, exploitation, and sexual assault. Furthermore, 93% are not active in sport or physically active and comprise one third of all athletes with disabilities who compete internationally.
Sport is universal, transcends cultural and linguistic differences and brings people together. Sport diplomacy uses sport to open dialogue about issues, create opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen networks globally. During the conference session, the presenter will share her experiences as international Sports Envoy for the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and discuss ways in which sports diplomacy can advance gender equality, inclusion and diversity for girls and women with disabilities. Conference attendees will be invited to identify and discuss ways to break barriers, challenge stereotypes about gender and disability, eliminate negative constraints and open doors to collaboration and opportunities.
Visibility of women’s sport: Collective voices in the media
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 16 9:00-9:45 NZST
In this interactive workshop, you will learn more about the connection between local particularities and global trends to identify how even small changes in one space can inspire changes in the increasingly connected media environment.
Impact of IWG in female sport participating in Botswana
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 16 9:00-9:45am NZST
Participants will explore the various opportunities (e.g. policy development, participant conditions, media activity) that have arisen in Botswana since hosting the IWG from 2014-2018 for women and girls in sport and physical activity.
LIPSTICK FOOTBALL: Mastering 8 Life Principles While Learning the Game of Football
Diana Weynand, MMA, MME (WSI member)
Two sides and a ball. Like most sports, American football can be explained with that simple premise. In life, those two sides—offense and defense—are often at odds with each other.
On the offense, you envision your wildest dream, leap into action, initiate plays and do everything you can to get the ball, i.e., your dream, into the end zone. But life’s defensive forces—those pesky obstacles and limiting beliefs—try to take you off course, drag you down, intercept your dream and keep you from scoring.
My book, LIPSTICK Football: 8 Game-Changing Principles to Bust Through Limitations and Achieve the Impossible While Learning the Game of Football, can help change that. LIPSTICK is an acronym for Leap, Immerse, Play, Shine, Track, Initiate, Condition and Kick.
To give your offense the best chance of achieving dreams and accomplishing goals, you must deal with the defensive forces in your life. Mastering these eight simple yet impactful life principles can help you learn to win and achieve your dreams.
When I played and managed women’s professional American football, it inspired me. It empowered me on the field —and off. The LIPSTICK Football Method is the result of that experience. Written specifically for people who don’t have DNA-like football experience, the book provides a safe place for young girls and women of all ages to have fun learning game basics.
If American tackle football, or flag football, is part of your women’s sports program—that’s great! If not, I encourage you to offer it and to integrate the Lipstick Football Method into your program. Using the game to frame a life journey can give your players the “life support” they need to achieve their personal dreams and learn to win.
Over Two-Decades of Effort on Empowering and Mentoring Japanese Women through Soccer
On-Demand: Lighting Talks
This presentation introduces a grassroot effort over two decades in Japan, called the
Bridge Program, to empower girls and women through soccer and mentor them for
further careers. Three main areas of focus are: 1) organizing yearly soccer tours in the
U.S., 2) supporting Japanese women’s players to receive athletic scholarships at
universities, and 3) developing various networks for women’s soccer players. This
program is also one of the initiatives in the Japanese Association for Women in Sport
(JWS) which Dr. Etsuko Ogasawara leads as an Executive Director. The sport society in Japan is still male-dominated, and girls and women often face
challenges, including lack of access and lack of female role models. The program hopes
Japanese women to learn necessary skills and knowledge to overcome obstacles and to
take actions for positive changes. Over 500 Japanese women traveled to the U.S. and
over 50 players have received athletic scholarship offers from universities.
The Bridge program is now led by many young women who went through the program.
Many Bridge women have been successful in various professions. For example, one of
Bridge women oversees management structures for international airports and intends
to serve a decision-making position in a major airline company. Another Bridge woman
is now coaching girls’ soccer players at the national academy program in Japan to
develop independent athletes who pursue their goals with broader views. A non-profit
organization that focuses on gender equity, diversity and inclusion was established by
two of the Bridge women. Another person is a professional comedian in Japan while
another person is determined to empower younger women as a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV).
This Bridge program is one encouraging example of how continuous, long-term, and
grassroot effort can make positive impacts for many girls and women in sport.
Policy Level Collaboration on Women and Sport between the Government of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
On-Demand: Lighting Talks
Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport at Juntendo University has
been an implementation partner for a policy level collaboration on Women and
Sports between the Japanese government and the Association of Southeast
Asian Nation (ASEAN) which includes following 10 countries: Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
By using the momentum of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games,
the Japanese government has started a project of international cooperation
through sport, named Sport for Tomorrow. As a part of this overall government
initiative, the Government of Japan conducts a four-day workshop, targeting the
ten (10) ASEAN Member States (AMS), to strengthen cooperation between
ASEAN and Japan by promoting gender equality in sport.
With a view to realize a gender-equal society and to promote the development
of women’s sports in the ASEAN region, together with government officials from
the AMS, heads of the Women in Sport Committees of the NOC, and young
female sports leaders, they formulate a set of actionable strategies for
promoting gender equality in sport in each country and to foster a generation of
leaders who can contribute to the aim. There are two objectives defined for the
workshop: to formulate a proposal of an action plan for each AMS in promoting
the participation of women and girls in sport in ASEAN and to empower
adolescent girls from AMS through livelihood and leadership skills training by
using sport as a catalyst.
This presentation introduces you to a unique case of the policy level
international collaboration for fostering gender equality in sport and also in
Asian society by using the power of sport. We also provide a good example of
how an international sport event supports the development of diplomatic
friendships and solidarity for fostering gender equality.