top of page
All News


IWG Reignites its Digital Channels as the 2022-2026 Strategy is Officially Announced
The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport has today published the details of the strategy which will guide its operations while the secretariat is in the UK, until 2026. The strategy centres around the IWG’s vision of sport and physical activity contributing to a world where all women and girls thrive, with an emphasis on bringing stakeholders together to make the changes needed to the structures and values of sport around the world. The IWG has set itself thr
Aug 29, 2023


IWG Supports UK’s Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator
Women’s sport to be boosted by new investment scheme Women’s sport investment is set to be boosted by a new scheme launched by the Department for Business and Trade, the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator. In association with Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. and supported by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, the new initiative will run for a year starting from autumn 2023. It will bring UK-based women’s sports rightsholders – leagues, teams, competi
Aug 28, 2023


IWG Co-host UK Sport’s Gender Equality Research Launch
Tuesday 1 st August saw IWG’s Co-Chair Annamarie Phelps and Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe join forces with UK Sport – one of our key partners – to help launch their latest research on Gender Equality in International Sports Leadership. As part of UK Sport’s commitment to achieve equal representation amongst British international postholders, they commissioned research into the pathways that women and men take into international leadership. Tuesday’s event was an opportunity
Aug 2, 2023


Rugby Football Union Joins IWG Women and Sport
The RFU will join the International Working Group (IWG), to further focus on advancing gender equality in rugby, in line with the union’s goal to develop the sport for women and girls. The commitment to working jointly saw the RFU come together with IWG to sign the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, an international treaty that has become a road map to support the ongoing development of a fairer and more equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of wom
Jul 25, 2023


IWG Update From UNESCO Conference, Baku
IWG Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe reflects back on her attendance at the global MINEPS VII conference . It was a real privilege to represent IWG Women and Sport last week at UNESCO’s seventh International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport – also known as MINEPS VII. Hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, MINEPS VII brought together sports ministers and stakeholders from over 110 countries to define the future of the sport-for-deve
Jul 4, 2023


IWG Confirms UK Steering Committee Members
The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport has today confirmed the 14 members of the UK Steering Committee who will oversee the creation and implementation of the IWG Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. The IWG was established almost 30 years ago in Brighton and is the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing gender equality in sport and physical activity. The IWG is a truly global organisation, with the secretariat moving country every four years. The UK won th
Jun 27, 2023


LTA and ITF Sign IWG’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration
The LTA and International Tennis Federation (ITF) have joined over 600 global organisations as signatories of the International Working Group on Women and Sport’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration. The official signing took place on Sunday 6th November 2022 at the welcome reception for the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals in Glasgow. Created in 1994, the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration comprises 10 Principles designed to help organisations develop a cultur
Jun 25, 2023


Challenges Laid for Global Delegates
Pic: Dr Payoshini Mitra, Muditambi Ravele, Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Kereyn Smith CNZM It’s been another day of thought-provoking presentations and discussions at the 8 th IWG World Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The four-day conference, the largest in the IWG’s 30 year history and the biggest sports conference ever to be staged in Aotearoa New Zealand, winds up tomorrow (Thursday). The 1200 attendees on the ground and 500 beaming in virtually, have been treated to
Nov 16, 2022


Connection and Information Key Wins at IWG 2022
It’s a win-win for the hundreds of men and women at the 8th IWG World Conference who say as fantastic as the presentations are, the chance to network with new and old friends is the icing on the cake. For Raelene Castle, group chief executive of High Performance Sport New Zealand and Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa, the conference offers an incredibly exciting platform for Aotearoa. “The vision to bring together the cricket, rugby, IWG World Conference and FIFA World Cup, has
Nov 15, 2022


Gender Equity and Equality in Spotlight at IWG
Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, is the centre of the future of women’s sport this week with the 8 th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport. It’s attracted everyone from Olympians to grassroots sportspeople, officials, coaches, scientists and more . . . all with a passion to further women and girls in sport. Pam Elgar is the chair of New Zealand Secretariat, Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA) Māori Rōpū, He Wāhine Toa Kei te Kokiri. Right from the beginning, creating a true partnersh
Nov 14, 2022


Deputy PM completes line-up of featured speakers for IWG 2022
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson and a quartet of high-powered international sports influencers now complete the full line-up of featured speakers for the 8 th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport (IWG 2022) to be held in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland from November 14-18. This announcement completes the final programme released today, which includes 220+ sessions and 500 speakers across four days. Registrations for the
Nov 4, 2022


Inspiring Speakers locked in for IWG 2022
Pictured left to right: Anthony Edgar, Dame Noeline Taurua, Chris Mosier, Stephanie Hightower, Madeleine Pape. Registrations have surged past 1,200, with limited spaces now remaining for in person participants. Closing date to register for the hybrid in person / virtual pass is now 23.59 NZT on Wednesday 9 November 2022. This date may move forward should capacity limits be reached sooner; local organisers are now urging final registrants to get in quick, to avoid missing out.
Oct 26, 2022


More Global and First Nation speakers announced for IWG2022
Pictured above from left to right: Arizona Leger, Sarai Bareman, Madeleine Orr, Dame Katherine Grainger, Honey Hireme-Smiler MNZM To mark five weeks until the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Aotearoa, New Zealand, this November, more local and global speakers have been added to the speaker lineup. Hot off the heels of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Content Creator and Emerging young leader Arizona Leger (Te Rarawa, Whakatōhea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) will join Angela
Oct 10, 2022


Women’s sport Champions to front 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport
Wikitōria Day, Rikki Swannell and Scotty ‘Sumo’ Stevenson will co-host the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport this November. With 40+ years of broadcast experience between them, the trio are amongst Aotearoa’s top contributors in sport and Māori media. The core programme has been updated. Review your ‘Favourites List’ on the Conference Hub for possible session changes. The International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport Secretariat, Women in Sport Aotearoa, Ngā Wāhi
Oct 5, 2022


IWG2022 marks ‘100 days to go’ with more headline speaker announcements
8 th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport marks ‘100 days to go’ with more headline speaker announcements from Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East Earlybird registration deadline closes 31 August 2022 **Exhibition Packages now available** To mark ‘100 days to go’ until the 8 th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Aotearoa New Zealand this November, a diverse range of additional global speakers have been added to an already impressive line-up. The Intern
Aug 9, 2022


United Kingdom wins bid to host IWG quadrennial 2022 – 2026
London and Birmingham to host the IWG Secretariat & World Conference 2022 – 2026 quadrennial period, taking over from Aotearoa New Zealand on 1 October 2022. The International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport is delighted to announce the United Kingdom (U.K.) as host to its next quadrennial period, from 1 October 2022 – 30 September 2026. The U.K. will receive the baton from Aotearoa New Zealand, shortly after it finishes global delivery of the 8th IWG World Conference on
Jul 21, 2021
bottom of page
