Professional Disc Golf Association Commitsto Gender Equity by Signing GlobalDeclaration

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The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) 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.

By becoming a signatory, the PDGA – the international governing body for disc golf – publicly reaffirms its commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring that female players, leaders, and volunteers are equitably represented and celebrated across the sport worldwide.

Central to the PDGA’s inclusion work is the biennial Women’s Global Event (WGE). Created by the organisation’s Women’s Committee, the initiative tackles isolation head-on by linking female competitors across global leaderboards, allowing athletes to connect, celebrate, and compete with peers worldwide, even if they are the sole woman at their local tournament.

Beyond the WGE, the PDGA embeds equity directly into its competitive and regulatory fabric.

The United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship stands as the sport’s women-only Major, as well as the only Major to welcome athletes across all rating divisions, giving women an added opportunity to compete for a Major title.

Backed by a Women’s Committee active since 1986 and elevated by several visibility campaigns throughout the year, the PDGA continues to turn grassroots engagement into lasting systemic change. One example of this systemic change is mandating female-equivalent divisions whenever mixed categories are offered.

Doug Bjerkaas, Executive Director of the PDGA, said:

"On behalf of the PDGA, we are very excited about joining other sports organisations that have signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

“This declaration aligns with what the PDGA is trying to do: create a more equitable environment for women and girls to play disc golf. As we reviewed the different principles behind the declaration, we felt that it one-hundred-percent aligned with our own principles and we are very excited to move forward with this."

Lisa O'Keefe MBE, Secretary General of the International Working Group on Women & Sport, welcomed the commitment:

"We are delighted to welcome the Professional Disc Golf Association to the global IWG community.

“From the grassroots to long-term guidance through their Women’s Committee, the PDGA demonstrates how intentional action builds inclusion from the ground up. By signing the Declaration, they send a clear signal that women and girls belong at every level of the game, and we look forward to working together to champion gender equity worldwide."