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Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Chair of the IWG UK Secretariat, this week attended the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport in Porto, Portugal, delivering the keynote presentation for the focus session on leadership through gender equality in sport: effective strategies and future direction. The conference, organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in co-operation with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Portuguese Inst

Following a period of review and improvements, IWG is delighted to relaunch the IWG Insight Hub which is designed to empower and advance gender equity and equality for women and girls in sport and physical activity worldwide. The IWG Insight Hub is home to a world-leading collection of research, case studies and toolkits which the IWG’s network has contributed to, providing global insights across the key themes of: Data and Research Methodologies Safeguarding Resources and

The IWG is recruiting for members to join their Summit Organising Committee to help plan and deliver the IWG Global Summit which is taking place in Birmingham, UK, from 9-11 July 2026. The Organising Committee members will be working with the small IWG Secretariat, including an Event Producer, and will lead the design and delivery of specific elements of the scope to support the IWG Team. Chaired by Clare Barrell, Director International Relations and Member Services at Worl

IWG is pleased to welcome Esther Britten MBE to the UK Steering Committee , which serves to support the implementation of the IWG Strategic Plan 2022-2026 while the Secretariat operates from the UK. In her position as the Head of Major Events at UK Sport, Esther has played a key role in the bidding and staging of major international sporting events hosted in the UK over the past decade and, combined with her experience as a former hockey player and umpire, she has also been i

IWG’s Secretary General, Lisa O’Keefe MBE, delivered one of the keynote speeches at the recent 2024 South African Women and Sport Foundation (SAWASF) National Advocacy Conference, which took place in Pretoria, South Africa on 31st August. Joining the conference remotely, Lisa delivered her keynote plenary session on the topic of “The need to identify Change Champions to lead the acceleration of progress in Women and Sport”.  The presentation drew on evidence from members of t

UPDATE: The deadline for the second year of the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator Programme, from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, has been extended. The new deadline is 11.45pm on Friday 6th September.  Find out more and apply via the Department for Business and Trade website.  The FA Women’s Super League, England Rugby, England Netball, England and Wales Cricket Board and Volleyball England were among the first participants in the new Women’s Sport Investment

In the week building up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the IWG attended UNESCO’s ‘Change The Game’ Forum at their headquarters in Paris. The two-day event brought together over 500 policy makers and senior sports leaders from around the world and provided insightful discussions around the transformative power of sport for sustainable development. The Partners’ Forum, held on day one of the event, advocated for and illustrated the social impacts of investments in sport polic

Wednesday 31st July saw the IWG and the British Embassy Paris host a successful ‘Women In Sport’ event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in conjunction with UK Sport. Over 150 guests were welcomed into the British Ambassador’s Residence, including senior leaders from International Federations and National Governing Bodies, Sports Ministers, athletes and media. Dame Menna Rawlings, His Majesty’s Ambassador to France, opened proceedings by welcoming the guests, highlighting

IWG has today opened the bid process to host the IWG Secretariat and Global Summit 2026-2030 and is inviting interested applicants to submit their Expressions of Interest. Download the IWG Women and Sport Bid Pack To ensure the IWG retains a global perspective and generates visibility and energy for its vision and mission around the world, the Secretariat moves country every four years. Since its inception in the UK back in 1994, the IWG Secretariat and Global Summit has been

On Thursday 18 July, the IWG attended the latest “ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sports: Gender Equality” progress meeting to hear the latest updates from the project. Commissioned by the Japan Sports Agency, led by the International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality Seijo University (SGE) and in consultation with the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), Japan is bringing together 10 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to promote gender equality through sports. Foc

IWG was honoured to be invited by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), a signatory of the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration , to take part in their ‘Finding The Leader Within You’ panel discussion during the first week of the All-England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. UK Steering Group member Clare Barrell represented the IWG on the panel, which also included Sandi Procter, President of the Lawn Tennis Association, and Susie Kenny-Smith, a leadership consult

IWG is delighted to announce the appointment of Tarja Krum to the Global Executive , the 12-strong international board which governs the IWG. Tarja, who will take over the European representative role from Sallie Barker, is the Sustainability Manager at ‘Finlands Svenska Idrott’ (the Swedish Sports Federation in Finland), where she leads initiatives focused on equality, safe sports, good governance, the environment and anti-doping. Last month, Tarja was also elected as the Ch

Lisa O’Keefe, Secretary General of IWG, joined a panel discussion at the WiMENA (Women In Middle East North Africa) Women in Sport Conference on the topic of ‘Unlocking Sporting Potential’. The conference, held at Stamford Bridge – the home of Chelsea Football Club, provided a platform for experts from the sports sector from the UK, Middle East and North Africa to highlight their plans and vision for women in sport. The panel, facilitated by Newcastle University’s Director of

IWG’s Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe has today been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Lisa has been honoured with an MBE in recognition of her services to sport as Executive Director of Insight at Sport England, a role she held from 2013 to 2022. During her time, Lisa transformed the approach to research and insight and played an integral role in the development and delivery of Sport England’s award-winning ‘This Girl Can’ campaign. Being awarded an MBE is a fit

On the eve of the UEFA Men’s Euro 2024 football, IWG Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe shares her views on why more men are needed in the fight for gender equality within sport. What can men do to help further equality in sport? What tools are at their disposal? And why should they get involved? As we head into an amazing summer of sport and I notice more trailers, adverts and analysis of what’s to come, I am reminded how sport firmly sits at the heart of most cultures, reaching

The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport is delighted to announce the 18 recipients of the Anita White Fund, which aims to support female leaders in sport around the world. The Anita White Fund is a legacy of the Anita White Foundation and consists of two sets of awards – The Anita White Catalyst Grant and The Cath Sweet Award – established to honour Dr Anita White OBE and the late Cath Sweet, two leading figures in the women and sport movement who collaborate

May is a special month for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport as it begins its Pearl Anniversary celebrations on Tuesday 7th May. Marking 30 years since its establishment in Brighton, the IWG will host a series of events to commemorate being the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing gender equality in sport and physical activity since its inception in 1994. Alongside a new logo to acknowledge the 30 years and a free e-book written by Professor

The IWG Secretariat travelled to Brussels, Belgium, on 18th April to attend the European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport. The event was hosted by the European Non-Governmental Sport Organisation (ENGSO) and its Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee. The meeting gathered stakeholders actively working on gender equality in sport across Europe, with the express intention of identifying opportunities to work together and increase our collective impact. Lisa O’Kee

The IWG is delighted to share that “The International Working Group on Women and Sport 1994-2024: The Challenge of Change” is now available to download for free as an e-book, or to purchase . Written by Professor Elizabeth Pike , Research Lead at IWG and Professor of Sport, Health and Exercise at the University of Hertfordshire, the book comprehensively evaluates the role of the IWG in influencing global and domestic policy and practice across its first three decades. The bo

The IWG UK Secretariat spent the week at the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit, which took place at the ICC in Birmingham, UK, earlier this week. Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe and Chair Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY were in attendance at the event, which enables global business leaders and host cities to connect with International Federations and their stakeholders. Attendance at SportAccord presented the IWG with an invaluable opportunity to create awareness of the n