26 Feb 2015

Since Botswana took over as the 2018 International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) World conference host from Helsinki Finland in September 2014, efforts have been put in place to promote the updated Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration which guides the functions of the IWG.

IWG secretary general, Game Mothibi, said the declaration was revised as part of the 20^th year celebrations of the IWG and form part of the past hosts legacy. She said through different interactions, both planned and unplanned, they had made contact with several stakeholders both locally and internationally. 

Mothibi said in the short four months that Botswana had been in office, they managed to make contact with more than 10 local and international sporting bodies in an effort to get them to sign the declaration.

In total, she said four countries had had representation through bodies within their countries sign the declaration including Botswana - Botswana Netball Association (BONA), Korea- Women and Sport of Korea, France- France Women in Sport and France Ministry of Town, Youth and Sports and Tanzania- National Sport Council of Tanzania.

The IWG secretary general, said when Botswana first took over the baton from Finland last year, they had a total of 419 signatories, but currently they have managed to grow the total number of signatories from 419 to 425, adding that it was an achievement that was held in high regard by not just themselves but also past hosts and the current board of IWG

She however said as the 2018 IWG World conference host, they will continue to encourage all sporting codes to sign the declaration through direct invitations through interaction in various events and activities and activations where they always have presence and distribute information about the network. 

Mothibi said they have also appointed an ambassador for the Declaration, Tebogo Lebotse-Sebego, whom they have identified as influential.

“We hence decided to appoint her as an ambassador to among other things promote the declaration amongst netball community both locally and internationally, as well as encourage her counterparts in the Botswana Sport codes to sign,” she said.

According to Mothibi, signing does not necessarily mean appending signature on the document but also upholding the principles contained in the declaration.

In addition to that, she said they were also constantly engaging both the local and international stakeholders, including sporting bodies, at an international level through their communications network which is mostly electronic, through their Facebook page, website, and e-newsletter as well as twitter and YouTube channels.

“It is also important to note that whilst it is our aim to grow the number of signatories, being a new entity, we have a task to educate. We are currently embarking on a Know your IWG campaign, disseminating information about the network and what it stands for,” she said.

She also said they are looking at making presentations by taking advantage of different platforms including annual general meetings of different sport management bodies such Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) and Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC)

In their effort to lure more countries and coded to sign the declaration, she said they would continue to attend various international commemorations, conferences, events where they interact with sporting bodies across the world and encourage those that have not yet signed the declaration to come on board and sign.

Quizzed if her organisation was educating different sporting codes about the importance of signing the Declaration, she was quick to point out that this was an ongoing process which they are rolling out.
She said they had approached several codes and made presentations and plan on approaching many more over the next four years.

The idea, she said was to sign codes as well as their overarching bodies which normally sit at an international level, adding effort to reach both will constantly be made through letters of invitation, information disseminated through activations and participation in various events and activities as well as presentations made directly to the bodies.

Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on Women and Sport’s aim is to develop a sporting culture that enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport and physical activity.

It is in the interests of equality, development and peace that commitment be made by governmental, non-governmental organisations and all those institutions involved in sport, physical education and physical activity to apply the principles and recommendations set out in this Declaration by amongst developing appropriate policies, structures and mechanisms which amongst other mainstream the values and principles of equity and diversity into all international, regional, national and local strategies for sport and physical activity. ENDS