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This week marks the ‘one year to go’ countdown until the IWG Global Summit 2026, hosted by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport. The Summit is set to be the foremost gathering of thought leaders in the sport industry, providing a platform for sharing best practices and the latest insights affecting women and sport.

Judo Home Nations Band Together to Sign Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration In a landmark show of unity and purpose, the Judo Home Nations, British Judo, JudoScotland, England Judo, Welsh Judo, and the Northern Ireland Judo Federation, have officially signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, reinforcing their collective commitment to gender equity in sport. The Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, established by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, is

World Abilitysport has become the latest organisation to sign the IWG Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, with the signing taking place at Buckinghamshire College Group in Aylesbury, UK, on Friday 13 June 2025.

Dear the IWG community, I was delighted to be asked to provide a monthly update for the network. The trouble was knowing where to start, there is plenty happening so here’s a few highlights and a brief look forward – you can read my full update on the IWG website. In April I represented IWG at the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) Gender Equity Seminar in Brunei, a tiny nation with a big, welcoming heart. Centred around the theme of ‘Watch Her Shine’, the seminar brought togeth

World Wheelchair Rugby: Rewriting the Rules for Women in Sport As a committed signatory of the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) is turning bold ambition into action, championing gender equity through the development of a global Gender Equity Commitment and a powerful new Playbook. In a sport traditionally dominated by men, WWR is changing the narrative, one strategy at a time. Tackling inequality with vision and evidence Wheelchair rugby has l

As a dedicated signatory of the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (MOC) is setting a new benchmark in gender equity through its transformative initiative,  EmpowerHER – Protecting Female Athletes’ Health . In a region where women’s health in sport is often underrepresented, MOC is leading with innovation, courage, and collaboration. A pioneering partnership for change EmpowerHER was launched with the strategic support of Olympic Solidarity

Women in Racing (WiR) has today become the latest signatory of IWG’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, highlighting their on-going commitment to supporting and developing the British horseracing industry’s female employees. The Declaration is an internationally recognised treaty comprising 10 principles to support the ongoing development of a more fair and equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls. The signing took place during the

The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport is proud to announce its formal commitment to England Golf’s Respect in Golf movement — a powerful initiative designed to foster a culture of fairness, safety and belonging across all levels of the game. IWG is proud to join a growing list of signatories, including GolfMagic and the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA), in pledging to uphold and promote the core values of respect, inclusivity, and accessibility in

IWG Women and Sport and TAFISA (The Association for International Sport for All) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their commitment to closer collaboration. The MoU follows a productive meeting held at TAFISA’s headquarters in Frankfurt last year, where a robust discussion around re-starting the collaboration between the two organisations was held. The agreement will see a stronger alliance between IWG and TAFISA, helping to create a stronger voice

Women In Football (WIF) has become the latest signatory of IWG’s Brighton plus Helsinki declaration, in what WIF describe as a ‘landmark moment’.  The signing took place on 26 March at their annual ‘Be Inspired Conference’ at Wembley Stadium, with WIF CEO Yvonne Harrison reminding the 500 delegates in the room that ‘while football should belong to everyone, unfortunately for too long this has not been the case.’  Following her introduction, Yvonne welcomed Lisa O’Keefe, IWG

IWG has today published the Year Two Annual Report, which details the work of the IWG Secretariat during its second year in the UK.  Key highlights from the report   Connections   During the 2023-2024 period, we maintained and built upon our strong relationships with key stakeholders from around the world to enhance IWG’s global reach.  As part of IWG’s 30th Anniversary celebrations, we launched the monthly IWG Newsletter and IWG Webinar Series while we continued to grow our

Last month, Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe MBE and Chair Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY embarked on a significant visit to the Middle East, strengthening ties and learning from initiatives aimed at advancing opportunities for women and girls in sport. Their journey took them across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where they engaged with key stakeholders, shared best practices, and explored opportunities to expand IWG’s ‘network of networks.’ Reflecting

World Curling has officially signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, reinforcing their dedication to promoting gender equality within the sport – both on and off the ice. Established by the IWG in 1994, this global treaty is now supported by more than 600 organisations, including International Federations, National Governing Bodies, and other sporting organisations, all working together to create a more inclusive sporting landscape. World Curling has taken continuous

World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) has taken a landmark step toward gender equity in wheelchair rugby, officially signing the IWG’s Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on March 4. This milestone is further strengthened by the launch of the Wheelchair Rugby Gender Equity Playbook, a transformative strategy aimed at increasing female participation and leadership at every level of the sport. The Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration is a globally recognized commitment to equity,

Sport Ireland has signed the IWG Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, signifying their commitment to equity for women and girls in sport and physical activity. The signing took place during Women in Sport Week, which runs from Monday, March 3 to Sunday, March 9, and this year celebrates its fifth anniversary. Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “At Sport Ireland we’re committed to supporting women and girls’ participation in sport. There’s no more fitting time to sign the decl

Professor Elizabeth Pike PhD, a leading expert in sport and gender from t he University of Hertfordshire (Great Britain), is the Global Winner of the 2024 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Champions Award. On the eve of International Women’s Day, the IOC is celebrating Pike, alongside five continental winners who are all breaking barriers in #SportForAllWomenAndGirls.    A Professor in Sport, Health and Exercise, Pike has de

Japan Rowing Association (JARA) has signed the IWG’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, becoming the latest World Rowing Member Federation to do so. The Declaration is an international treaty that has become a road map to support the ongoing development of a more fair and equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls. By signing the Declaration, JARA is demonstrating its commitment to improving gender equality within the sport of rowing

Luxembourg played host to two high-profile events focussed on advancing gender equality in sport across Europe last week, with the European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport taking place on 12 February, ahead of the closing event of the ‘All In Plus’ EU-CoE joint project on 13 February. Organised by the European Sports NGO Equality Within Sport (ENGSO EWS) Committee, the second edition of the European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity once again brought

Dr Anita White, founder of the IWG, has today been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours List.Anita will be honoured with a CBE in recognition of her services to women and to sport throughout her career, which has spanned over 40 years. Beginning her career as an athlete, Anita won 42 caps representing England at hockey, leading the team to world cup victory in 1975. A lack of recognition for the women’s team’s achievements encouraged Anita to be amongst a group of women wh

London Marathon Events (LME) has signed the International Working Group (IWG) on Women in Sport’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, becoming the latest major organisation to signify their commitment to gender equity and equality. The announcement coincides with the celebrations of the 30 th anniversary of the creation of the Declaration and sees LME join more than 600 federations and organisations across the globe that have signed the treaty. The Brighton Plus Helsinki Decl