IWG Celebrates 30 Years of Impact

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The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport last night commemorated its Pearl Anniversary with a celebration at the Guildhall in London, UK, generously hosted by the City of London Corporation.

Themed on ‘Visibility and Portrayal of Women and Girls in Sport’, Jacqueline Bourke, Senior Director of Creative from Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, delivered the keynote

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presentation on their latest research in the area which can help drive participation in sport amongst women and girls.

The presentation included key insights from their creative research platform VisualGPS, with a sample of over 7,000 consumers in 25 countries, highlighting that women most value imagery which prioritises improved self-esteem, and are also more likely to appreciate seeing images of disability in sports, as well as people of different ages, all genders and ’everyday people’ engaging in sports. The findings

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also show that for sports organisations to drive female participation in sports, women from different regions are driven by different types of sport visuals, reminding us that women are not one homogenous group.

With HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in attendance alongside 150 senior leaders from across the UK sports sector, the keynote presentation was then followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Annamarie Phelps

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CBE OLY, chair of the IWG Secretariat, who was joined on stage by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Paralympian, Chris Grant OBE, Chair of British Basketball Federation, Stacey Copeland, former boxer and current broadcaster, and Matt Barrett, founder of Goal Click, who produced a stunning video for the evening featuring a recipient of the Anita White Fund.

Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY said:

“Last night was a fantastic celebration of the IWG’s pivotal role in the global women’s sport movement over the last 30 years. It brought together key stakeholders and supporters from across the British and global sport sectors to reflect, connect and share learnings creating a brilliant buzz. It really felt like an IWG home-coming, and it was great to have some of the founders and architects of the 1994 inaugural conference present.

“We heard new insights from Getty Images focussing on realistic portrayal, recognition of intersectionality and the impact of equal visibility, which will be helpful to sports organisations across the country. They provide valuable guidance for promoting women’s teams, engaging with female fans and fans of women’s sport, as well as designing marketing materials, at a moment in time when we know women’s sport is the place to invest if what you want is to make real impact, whether you are a corporate, investor or broadcaster. We look forward to sharing the full piece of research on our Insight Hub soon for all the IWG network to access.

“We are now halfway through the UK’s IWG Secretariat period and remain committed to continuing to grow this network and to provide more opportunities for learning, culminating in The Global Summit which will take place in Birmingham 9-11 July 2026.

“I’d like to express our sincere gratitude to Deputy Edward Lord OBE and his team at the City of London Corporation for their generosity and hospitality in hosting such a fabulous and fitting event to help us celebrate 30 years of IWG.”

Dr Anita White OBE, founding member of the IWG, said:

“When the GB Sports Council hosted the first international conference on Women and Sport in Brighton in 1994, Women and Sport was not high on the sporting agenda. It is a different world today. Those of us involved in The Brighton Conference had no idea that it would spawn an international movement that would spread worldwide and help change the face of sport.

“Last evening’s event celebrated that achievement and the many people around the world who have contributed to the movement’s growth and development over the last 30 years.”

Photo Credit: Kate Green for Getty Images