15 May 2018

The 7th International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) World Conference commences on May 17-20 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) Gaborone, Botswana.

The conference themed ‘Determine the Future. Be Part of the Change’ is expected to bring 1200 delegates including key international and national decision-makers in sport including members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Olympic Committees, International Sport Federations, the United Nations, Special Olympics, Paralympics, Inter-Governmental Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations as well as leading researchers, government officials, athletes, sport administrators and coaches.

At the event, the theme will be fragmented into sub-themes such as; Being well to play well; Safe space: protecting women in sport; Tell their story; Leveraging media to advocate for women's sport; Welcome and empower all through sport; Sport without borders: cross-cultural collaboration as well as Let them lead: changing the leadership landscape of sport.

Some of the delegates expected to form a panel include Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan Chess champion and an actor of Disney movie titled, ‘The Queen of Kwate’.

She will tell her story on how she overcame odds to become a champion in her country.

Jordan Matthews, a senior lecturer on Sport Development and Management also coordinator of the Anita White Foundation (AWF) aimed at being internationally recognized for combining ground-breaking academic study, the education and development of women leaders and scholars in sport and the preservation of heritage for women and sport will also speak at the conference.

Caster Semenya is also expected to be among the panelists. Semenya, a South African middle-distance runner and 2016 Olympic gold medalist will discuss the sub-theme, ‘Welcome and empower all through sport’.

The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) Secretary General Wolfgang Baunmann will also be among the panelists discussing, ‘Being well to play well’.

He contributed and developed various international and national sport for all programmes and campaigns.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin was the first female to hold the office in the history of Commonwealth Sports Movement will the topic, Let them lead - changing leadership landscape of Sport.

She has a long and distinguished association with the games as an athlete, team manager, administrator and honorary secretary and was the first female elected CGF executive board member.

Botswana is hosting the event after Finland who hosted it in 2014 and IWG fully promotes the uptake of Brighton plus Helsinki 2014 declaration in ensuring that all the international and national organisations participate in the declaration.

The declaration was aimed at making sure that all their signatories’ policies were women friendly as well as implementing the Brighton plus Helsinki 2014 declaration on women and sport.

Since taking over the host from Finland, IWG has been engaged in different programmes amongst them Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW).  MEMROW is a programme aimed at nurturing athletic talent and personal and academic development for girls showing potential in sport. ENDS