England Athletics Commits to GenderEquity by Signing Global Declaration

England Athletics has officially joined a global movement of over 700 organisations by signing the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport’s Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

While acknowledging the significant progress already made across the sport, England Athletics recognises that barriers and inequalities remain. By becoming a signatory, the organisation is committing to ensuring that women and girls have equitable opportunities to participate, progress, lead, and thrive within athletics and running.

To ensure diverse leadership across the system, initiatives such as the Women in Coaching and Women's Throws Coach Group programmes are actively supporting women to develop skills, build networks, and progress within coaching and governance pathways.

But the focus is not top-down. Through its national social running programme, RunTogether, the organisation provides welcoming, community-based opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, successfully engaging a participant base that is majority female.

• 

• 

The organisation is also heavily focused on addressing the practical and social barriers affecting women's ability to be active safely. England Athletics is incredibly proud of its most recent Let's Lift the Curfew campaign, which engaged 13,100 participants across 412 registered groups last year.

Georgina Best, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at England Athletics, said:

"At England Athletics, we know that creating meaningful change requires sustained commitment and leadership that reflects the diversity of our sport and wider society.

"As a signatory, we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to gender equity, recognising that diverse voices in governance and decision-making are essential to creating fair, inclusive and accessible opportunities for women and girls."

Moving forward, the organisation’s Women & Girls Action Plan – developed in alignment with the ten principles of the Declaration – will focus on improving support for female athlete health, strengthening pathways into officiating, and ensuring that knowledge and insights derived from underrepresented communities directly inform future decision-making.

Annamarie Phelps, Co Chair of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, welcomed the signing:

"We are thrilled to welcome England Athletics to our growing network of signatories. Their clear dedication to an intersectional approach ensures that the systemic barriers faced by women and girls are met with actionable solutions. We look forward to learning from their insights and working together to level the playing field across the sport."