IAPESGW International Update, March 2018: News and resourcesfrom around the world
We want to hear about what you and your related organisations are doing and theinformation you are producing. You can send your information and news to any
member of the executive board for inclusion in the ‘Update’ each month – view theircontacts details
3月号の論説は、世界中の多くの場所、さまざまな方法で祝福された国際婦人デーについて取り上げられています。今年の国際婦人デーは、セクシャル
Keep right up to date with our news
ハラスメントに関するさまざまなソーシャルメディアのキャンペーンのためか、これまで以上の広がりをみせたようです。その記事について一部ご紹介
We have set up social media accounts to share all our latest news with you:
します。
多くのスポーツに関する連盟や政府は、プログラムへの資金提供や設備投資を行うことで、男女平等の政策について重要な発表を行ってきました。
例えば、4月にオーストラリアのゴールドコーストで実施されたCommonwealth Games Federation Gender Equality Strategyで確認することがで
You can now follow us on Twitter - take a lookきます。そこでは男女のスポーツ種目の数が初めて均等になり、バスケットボール、ホッケー、並びに競泳は、少なくとも50％の女性が委員となる初めての機会になるといわれています。IOCは、男女平等政策（Gender Equality Strategies）の鍵となる報告が25件なされていることを国際婦人デーに発表しています。

We're on Facebook too - view our page

Our page on the website
IAPESGW Regional event - International Congress Cubamotricidad
22 - 26 October 2018, Havana Convention Center, Cuba
The World Organization of Stimulation, Education and Child Development (OMEEDI), theInternational Association of Physical Education and Sports for Girls and Women (IAPESGW),
the International Association of Sports for All (TAFISA) with the National Institute of Sports ,Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) of the Republic of Cuba, with the auspice ofprestigious institutions and international organizations are convening the International
Congress Cubamotricidad 2018, which will take place from October 22nd to 26th at theHavana Convention Center, Cuba.
View a flyer for the event in English
View a flyer for the event in Spanish

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IAPESGW 18th Congress Book of Abstracts
We are pleased to give you access to the material from our Congress in this 83-page
document - giving you sight of some of the key submissions delivered over the course of theevent held at Barry University, Florida , 18 - 20 May 2017.
View the Book of Abstracts

IAPESGW membership brochure 2017 edition
Our membership brochure was update last year (currently, only English language version
available) - please view the latest edition
Note: We will provide this in other languages soon.

March Editorial
This is another bumper 32 page edition as the month of March included International
Women’s Day which has been celebrated in a big way in many places around the world. It
seems this year was more encompassing than before, possibly fueled by various social media
campaigns around sexual harassment.
Many sporting associations and governments made important announcements in regard togender equality policy, funding of programs and facilities. You can read about theCommonwealth Games Federation Gender Equality Strategy which has been implemented for
the Gold Coast (Australia, 4-16 April) Games where there is an equal number of sports formen and women for the first time and the sports of basketball, hockey and swimming will haveat least 50% female officials for the first time. The IOC announced on IWD that it hasreviewed 25 of its key Gender Equality Strategies.
You can share with our contributors how they celebrated IWD in various ways. IAPESGW
national representative from Australia, in celebration of International Women’s Day,
A/Professor Clare Hanlon was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2018 inrecognition of her significant contribution to women in sport. She was one of 20 “inspirational
women inducted from all walks of life”. In Turkey the government banned public recognition of
IWD but we know many women and organisations celebrated the achievements of women in
private gatherings. We congratulate these brave women!
I was part of a panel of five women from various backgrounds who spoke at a dinner function
organised by my local council. The event was sold out and was a great success. Under the#PressforProgress slogan we took away stickers saying “I will influence the beliefs and actionsof others”.
A major European announcement is that StreetGames UK has received funding to move into
Europe. The research and good practice modelling is worthy reading.
As usual we feature inspiring women gaining places on committees and in leadership
positions, and cover new research papers, publications and events.
News from countries include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Iran, Mexico, New Zealand,South Africa, UK, Northern Ireland and the USA, where much of the world media covered thelawsuit of Sharron Miller, the University of Minnesota women’s hockey coach, who
successfully sued her employer on the grounds of discrimination and was awarded $3.74. The
implications for female coaches in USA college sport are huge.

2Please note it is probably time to make your travel plans to our Cuban IAPESGWRegional Congress 22-26 October 2018.
And continue to #PressforProgress!
Janice Crosswhite OAM
Communications Director

International
An event....
International Physical Literacy Association - Physical Literacy Conference
26 June - 28 June 2018 Cardiff, WalesThe goals of the IPLA Conference 'Physical Literacy – Coaching, Community and Education'are:x

Bringing together international speakers, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, andadministrators; to share their knowledge during formal keynote presentations, workshops,
paper presentations and practical sessions.

xCelebrating the impact physical literacy has on individual communities (both locally andglobally).

x

To challenge, inspire and support practitioners in providing accessible opportunities tonurture physical literacy.

x

Providing opportunities to network with other professionals to share ideas and resources.

x

Promoting the value of physical literacy across the lifespan worldwide.

x

To continue to develop the concept of physical literacy, providing a forum for exchange ofviews and research.

The full IPLA Conference 2018 programme can be downloaded via the link below:
IPLA Conference 2018 Agenda
View more details----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------An older item but pertinent to include re the Commonwealth Games starting next month.....
Commonwealth Games Federation (27 November 2017)
CGF Gender Equality Strategy implementation gathers pace ahead of Gold Coast 2018x
x
x

Basketball, Hockey and Swimming lead drive to ensure gender parity of Technical Officials
at Games
Launch of Women’s Coaching Internship Programme set to build women’s coachingcapacity across Commonwealth
Gender parity in the number of medal events between men and women: 133 Women’s
events; 133 Men’s events; 9 Mixed/Open events

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today announced that central features of its
Gender Equality Strategy have been implemented ahead of the XXI edition of the3Commonwealth Games which takes place on the Gold Coast, Australia from 4 – 15 April
2018.
Gender Parity of Technical Officials
The International Federations for Basketball, Hockey and Swimming have confirmed that, forthe first time ever, at least 50% of their technical officials presiding over the sporting action atGold Coast 2018 will be women. The announcement supports the collective mission of theCommonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the Gold Coast 2018 Organising Corporation(GOLDOC) and its international sporting stakeholders to ensure the upcoming edition of theCommonwealth Games in Australia are the most gender-equal multi-sports event in history.
......................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (25 February 2018)
Chinese speed skater elected onto IOC Athletes' Commission as Coventry confirmed as
Executive Board member
Chinese speed skater Zhang Hong has been elected onto the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission following a vote at the 132nd Session here today.
Zhang, who initially finished fourth in the vote of the athletes competing at the 2018 WinterOlympic Games, replaces compatriot Yang Yang on the Commission.
The 29-year-old, winner of the 1,000 metres gold medal at Sochi 2014, was then sworn in as amember of the IOC.
The Executive Board proposed Zhang take the third and final available place on theCommission after Finnish ice hockey player Emma Terho and American cross-country Kikkan
Randall were elected following the athletes vote.
The Athletes Commission berth was available due to the departure of Yang, the two-time
Olympic champion whose term had come to an end.
Zhang finished fourth in the athletes vote behind Norwegian cross-country skier Astrid
Uhrenholdt Jacobsen having polled a total of 787 votes.
The IOC Executive Board recommend she take up the last place to ensure a better"continental and geographical representation" on the Athletes' Commission.
Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry was officially confirmed as the head of theCommission, replacing outgoing chair Angela Ruggiero of the United States for the next two
years. Coventry, a double Olympic champion, also takes up a place on the IOC Executive
Board.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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International Women’s Day - some news item to share.....there are other items in the'specific countries' section

International Olympic Committee (8 March 2018)
International Women’s Day: IOC setting the stage for lasting change in sport
In support of today’s International Women’s Day and the call to action to #pressforprogress,
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is launching today an overview of 25 key
recommendations from its Gender Equality Review Project, which focus on changing theconversation about women in sport holistically – from participation to representation anddecision-making.
Covering five key areas – sport, portrayal, funding, governance and human resources – the25 recommendations not only create an actionable roadmap to work with all of the IOC’s
partners and affiliates around the world to advance gender equality within the Olympic
Movement and the global sports community, but also reflect the efforts already underway by
the IOC, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs) topromote greater participation, decision-making and leadership by women across all aspectsof sport – to reflect and drive lasting change.
...................................................................................................................................................
See the overview of the 25 recommendations.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (8 March 2018)
IPC award Egypt NPC President Hayat Khattab for inspiring women in the Paralympic
Movement
The President of the Egyptian National Paralympic Committee (NPC), Hayat Khattab, hasbeen rewarded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for her "efforts andachievements in inspiring women in the Paralympic Movement" as part of this year's
International Women's Day.
Khattab was given the IPC's 2018 International Women's Day Recognition today ahead offour other final nominees for the award.
The annual award is given to someone who "embodies the spirit of the Paralympics andserves as a role model within the Movement for all females, from athletes to technicalofficials and committee leaders".
After receiving her accolade, Khattab said: "Getting such an award is a great honour to me
personally and to the Egyptian Paralympic Committee.
"I am very proud of getting this award, which is a compensation for all the hard work I havebeen doing for the Paralympic Movement."
Khattab became the Egyptian Paralympic Committee’s first female President in 2015 andhas since implemented several reforms to try and encourage more female athletes to takeup sports.
She has also been praised for trying to entice retired female athletes to take up positions incoaching or on committees.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

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Inside the games reports (8 March 2018)
Commonwealth Games Federation President claims organisation setting the pace for
equal gender representation in sport
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Louise Martin claims the organisation issetting the pace for equal gender representation in sport.
Speaking on International Women's Day, Martin reflected that the CGF had taken strides toimprove equality in terms of the number of medal events, as well as by boosting the numberof female technical officials and coaches.
"International Women's Day is the right time to reflect on how far we have come with genderequality and how far we still have to go to ensure real balance and fairness in both sport andsociety," Martin said.
"The Commonwealth Sports Movement is proud to be setting the pace for equal gender
representation and opportunity in sport, by ensuring that an equal number of medals will be
up for grabs at Gold Coast 2018 for women and men.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Beyond Sport (8 March 2018)
Sport promoting gender equality on International Women's Day
Thursday the 8th of March marked 2018's International Women's Day, in a year that has
been seismic in terms of social movements and campaigns for the protection and promotionof women's rights. It is a day to celebrate the contribution of women past and present and an
opportunity to continue striving for equality in all areas of modern society for a more equal
future.
Beyond Sport has continuously advocated for the role that sport can play in empowering
women and facilitating gender equality. In 2017, winners of the Beyond Sport Global Awards
included some outstanding organizations that are actively promoting gender equality incommunities around the world.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Gold Coast 2018 (8 March 2018)
11 inspiring women of the Commonwealth Games
Across the Commonwealth, women are leading the way in sport, art and business.
At GC2018, they will take centre stage as they inspire the next generation of leaders. And forthe first time, there will be an equal number of medal events for men and women.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, be inspired by some of the leading ladies of theGames.
Peace Proscovia - Netball
Growing up in the Arua District in the West Nile of Uganda, Peace Prosocvia’s parents
couldn’t afford to pay her education fees. Against their wishes, she left home to go to the city6

and now she’s the captain of the Ugandan netball team, is studying a Masters degree inmarketing and is an incredible role model for women in Uganda and around the world.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the details of all the 11 inspiring womenInside the games reports (12 March 2018)
INAS name first sport champions for We Are Sport projectInternational Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) have announced
the first athletes to take part in their "We Are Sport" project.
The initiative was launched on International Women’s Day, with seven female athlete andadministrator sport champions revealed.
Through the programme, INAS aims to help female athletes to use social and other media toshow their life as a high-performance sportsperson.
The organisation claim this will help to make the athletes more visible and raise their profile,
while acting as role models for the next generation.
...................................................................................................................................................
Britain’s London 2012 Paralympic swimming champion and Rio 2016 silver medallist
Jessica-Jane Applegate is set to be the face of the campaign.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the games reports (11 March 2018)
IWF claim progress being made to ensure gender equality in weightlifting
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) have claimed they are making strong progress
towards ensuring equal opportunities for men and women.
IWF President Tamas Aján claimed equality was a key priority of the federation as theymarked International Women’s Day.
"Gender equality is a key priority for the IWF," Aján said.
"We want to ensure that there are equal opportunities for men and women to practice oursport from amateur level all the way up to elite.
"Good progress has been made but there is more work to be done and the IWF is committed
to working with our National Federations to achieve gender equality."

7

The IWF President claimed that women’s weightlifting has grown impressively in recent
years, citing a rise in the number of women taking part at the World WeightliftingChampionships.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (12 March 2018)
INAS name first sport champions for We Are Sport projectInternational Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) have announced
the first athletes to take part in their "We Are Sport" project.
The initiative was launched on International Women’s Day, with seven female athlete andadministrator sport champions revealed.
Through the programme, INAS aims to help female athletes to use social and other media toshow their life as a high-performance sportsperson.
The organisation claim this will help to make the athletes more visible and raise their profile,
while acting as role models for the next generation.
Australia’s Jade Lucy and Singapore’s Danielle Moi Yan Ting have been confirmed as sportchampions, with the swimmers joined by table tennis players Yang Hee Seo of South Korea
and Hong Kong’s Wong Pui Kei.
Ecuador’s World Para Athletics Championship shot put silver medallist Poleth Mendes andAustralia’s INAS high jump world champion Caitlyn Sharp are also supporting the initiative.
Britain’s London 2012 Paralympic swimming champion and Rio 2016 silver medallist
Jessica-Jane Applegate is set to be the face of the campaign.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (13 March 2018)
IOC and Olympic medallists to participate in UN discussion on gender equality
A panel discussion on gender equality in sport is due to take place at the 62nd Session of
the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women in New York City tomorrow.
The debate, entitled "Racing Towards Gender Equality: The Media’s Portrayal of Women
Athletes and Its Effects on Women’s Participation in Sports", will include contributions byathletes, as well as business leaders and sporting officials.
Taking place at the Diplomat Ballroom in the Millennium Hotel in New York, the discussion
will be moderated by NBC Sports broadcaster Andrea Joyce.
Other speakers include two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Donna de Varona, amember of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, and Olympic bronze medal winning
figure skater Maia Shibutani.
They will be joined by Rebecca Lowell Edwards, the IOC strategic communications director,
and Marc Pritchard, the chief brand officer at Proctor and Gamble.

8

Khetsiwe Dlamini, the chief of staff and acting director of strategic partnerships at UN
Women, will complete the line-up alongside UNESCO director of the gender equality
division, Saniye Gülser Corat.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (21 March 2018)
Crisis-hit AIBA announce diversity in boxing programme to aid National Federations
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) have unveiled a diversity in boxing programme
which they claim will be used to help national federations access various initiatives in the
coming years.
A total of CHF1 million (£750,000/$1.05 million/€850,000) will be made available forfederations each year, although an additional CHF200,000 (£150,000/$209,000/€170,000) is
set to be on offer this year to ensure a positive start to the programme.
AIBA said the programme will be financed by one of their sponsors.
National federations will be able to apply from April, with AIBA then set to review and makefinal decisions on the applications.
The governing body stated that the financial support will be closely monitored with full
disclosure given over allocation of the funds.
The initiative will mainly support schemes focused on good governance and organisational
ethics programmes, AIBA said, with the organisation's own politics currently in turmoil.
Focus will also be placed on developing youth and women's boxing initiatives.
The latter is significant, with AIBA claiming that they will significantly increase the number offemale boxers competing, having come under pressure from the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) to achieve greater gender equality.
The governing body’s assertions came after the IOC removed two weight categories fromthe men's competition to make way for two women's at Tokyo 2020.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

European Commission - Sport (21 March 2018)
New Eurobarometer on sport and physical activity
The report, unveiled by Commissioner Navracsics in Sofia during the annual EU Sport
Forum, shows that levels of participation have not changed substantially since the previous
Eurobarometer survey in 2014. In fact, the proportion of those who say they never exercise
or play sport has slightly increased from 42% to 46% Europe-wide, and this is a continuationof a gradual trend since 2009.
...................................................................................................................................................
The Eurobarometer also shows that most physical activity takes place in informal settings,
such as parks and outdoors (40%) or at home (32%) or during the journey between home
and work, school or shops. Still, 15% of Europeans do not walk for 10 minutes at a time at all
in a weekly period, and 12% sit for more than 8.5 hours per day.

9

These figures emphasize the crucial role that other actors can play: employers, for example,
can help addressing sedentary behaviours at the workplace, and cities and local authorities
can also play a part in helping citizens be more physically active in their daily lives.
The main motivations for participation in sport or physical activity are improved health (54%)
and fitness (47%). Lack of time (40%) is the principal barrier.
This Eurobarometer survey was carried out for the European Commission by Kantar Publicin the 28 Member States between 2 and 11 December 2017. Around 28 000 respondents
from different social and population groups took part in the poll. The survey follows
comparable surveys conducted in 2002, 2009 and 2013, and will contribute to providing data
to support the development of policies to promote sport and physical activity.
View the full details
Access all the fact sheets on this page

StreetGames - in the UK (March 2018)
European Us Girls
StreetGames has been successful in securing Erasmus+ Sport funding to share our insightand learning about engaging women and girls in sport across Europe.
Using the learning from the award-winning Us Girls programme and understanding thecontext of women's sport in our partner countries StreetGames will lead the project todisseminate learning. Working with partners from Italy, Denmark, France, The Netherlands
and Poland StreetGames will develop tools for improving the quality of sport provision for
women.
This will include training and learning resources adaptable for different national settings thatcan be rolled out Europe-wide. In particular, a new international course to train young
women to be peer educators in grassroots sport.
The project will create a large and dynamic new European network for grassroots sport. The
partners bring their own extensive networks to this project, which will interact on the new
networking platform to form a ‘network of networks’.
Research
As part of this exciting project, the partners have conducted two research reports that are
now available to view and download here:
European Us Girls Case Study Report – Providing 28 examples of good practices forengaging female volunteers and improving girls’ inclusion and participation in sport andphysical from across Europe and beyond. To download the Executive Summary, click here;
To download the full report, click here.
The Academic Review - provided findings from extant peer-reviewed literature with regards
to female volunteers in sport and how their role could contribute to girls’ increased
participation in sport and physical activity. To download the full report, click here.
If you are interested in finding out how you could get involved in this project please contact
europeanusgirls@streetgames.org
Source of information

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Inside the games reports (27 March 2018)
CGF to launch first women's coaching mentor programme at Gold Coast 2018
A total of 19 female coaches from the Commonwealth are set to benefit from a new tailoredmentor scheme due to be held during Gold Coast 2018, it was announced here today.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has officially launched its Women's Coaching
Internship Programme (WCIP), offering participants mentoring, learning and on-the-groundtraining at the event.
It forms part of the CGF's gender-equality strategy, which they claim is setting thebenchmark for standards in international sport.
The coaches from 11 nations due to compete at the Games, scheduled to take place from
April 4 to 15, represent 12 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme.
Botswana, Canada, England, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, New Zealand,
Northern Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand are all represented on the WCIP.
They will participate in regular information sessions, including presentations from establishedwomen coaches who will share their stories, while learning from their respective mentors.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

UNESCO (28 March 2018)
Launch of a study to promote women’s football internationallyIn the spirit of the approaching FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in France in June 2019,
UNESCO, together with the French National Union of Professional Footballers (l’Union
nationale des footballeurs professionnels – UNFP) and the French Institute for Internationaland Strategic Affairs (IRIS), will work together to advance the promotion of women’s footballon the world stage.
The will of these three actors is to advance, each at its own level, gender equality and equity
in women’s football, and to promote its inclusive role in society.
UNESCO, UNFP (link is external) and IRIS (link is external) announce officially, on
Wednesday 28 March 2018, the launch of a study to promote women’s footballinternationally.
The study has three main objectives. It will first determine the status of women’s participation
in football at all levels (including amateur, professional, coaching and administrative or
managerial positions). Secondly, it will identify the barriers to their participation. Finally,
based on quantitative and qualitative analysis collected through the study, the partners inthis project will provide concrete recommendations for public authorities, sport bodies andthe general public to promote and develop gender equality and female empowerment
through football. The study also intends to provide a clear picture of the status of women in
football and prompt action for advancing gender equality in football.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item11

A study of interest....
BMC PediatricsBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201818:78
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-018-1029-7, published 22 February 2018. “Not justanother Wii training”: a graded Wii protocol to increase physical fitness in adolescent
girls with probable developmental coordination disorder- a pilot study. Bonney, E et al
Abstract
Background: Adolescents with low motor competence participate less in physical activity
and tend to exhibit decreased physical fitness compared to their peers with high motor
competence. It is therefore essential to identify new methods of enhancing physical fitness inthis population. Active video games (AVG) have been shown to improve motor performance,
yet investigations of its impact on physical fitness are limited. The objective of this study was
to examine the impact of the graded Wii protocol in adolescent girls with probable
Developmental Coordination Disorder (p-DCD).
Methods: A single-group pre-post design was conducted to assess the impact of a newly
developed Wii protocol in adolescent girls attending school in a low income community ofCape Town, South Africa. Sixteen participants (aged 13-16 years) with p-DCD (≤16th
percentile on the MABC-2 test) were recruited. Participants received 45 min Wii training for
14 weeks. Outcome measures included the six-minute walk distance and repeated sprint
ability. Information on heart rate, enjoyment and perceived exertion ratings were alsocollected.
Results: Significant improvements in aerobic and anaerobic fitness were observed. The
participants reported high enjoyment scores and low perceived exertion ratings. The graded
Wii protocol was easily adaptable and required little resources (space, equipment andexpertise) to administer.
Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary evidence to support the use of the graded
Wii protocol for promoting physical fitness in adolescent girls with p-DCD. Further studies
are needed to confirm these results and to validate the clinical efficacy of the protocol in alarger sample with a more robust design.
View the 13-page article

Journal of Physical Activity and Health: The Official Journal of the International
Society for Physical Activity and Health. Volume 15, Issue 4, April 2018
Editor - the abstracts from the articles in this current edition to be placed on their website
are now available.
View the abstracts

Specific countries
AUSTRALIA
Victoria State Government - Sport and Recreation (8 March 2018)
New push to boost female leadership in sport
To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Victorian Government has announced$220,000 towards the Change Our Game Scholarship Program, providing a new pathway tosenior roles for women in sport.

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The scholarships are targeted at women already working in sport and recreation
organisations, who have fewer opportunities to set up and lead due to the male dominatednature of sport.
This program seeks to break down this barrier and start levelling the playing field for women.
There will be as many as 24 scholarships each year, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, toprovide professional development to enhance skills in sport leadership and management.
It comes on top of a range of Victorian Government initiates – from establishing Victoria’s
first Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, to upgrading or building more than 100 new
female-friendly facilities across the state.
Our record $14 million Female-Friendly Facilities Fund has already helped more than 200
clubs transform their ageing facilities to get more women and girls involved and active.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Full article in this case as couldn't pick up a web version - item flagged-up by Janice
Crosswhite via an email news item received....
Narelle Gosstray - Non-profit professional , sports diplomat, women's sport advocate andvolunteer, specialising in governance and strategy
This is a BIG deal! Australian female baseball coach makes sporting history (12 March2018)
A few weeks ago an Australian coach quietly made history. Amongst all the noise and thehype of the AFLW, the winter Olympics, W-League finals and every other sporting code thefeat of this woman slipped through the cracks.
BLINK
You just missed it.
On a stormy Sunday afternoon in a controversial game with ejections, rain delays and homeruns, the Brisbane Bandits secured their third straight Claxton Shield in the AustralianBaseball League, defeating the Canberra Cavalry at home 4-2.
And in the dugout was the woman who made Australian sporting history.
Lisa Norrie was appointed as an Assistant Coach to the Bandits earlier this year and was in
the dugout for the Bandit’s historic win. Her appointment in itself creates a crack in the“grass”
ceiling of sport, as the first woman to coach in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). With
the Bandits victory she has claimed a trifecta … first woman to coach in the ABL, firstwoman to coach in a men’s national league (in any sport) in Australia and first woman tocoach on an Australian championship team (in any sport).
There is little surprise that it was the Bandits who opened the door for 42 year old Norrie tomake this history. The Bandits have always been about leading the pack. They were the firstto appoint a female General Manager, Kate Dobie in 2014, and this year created two firsts –a “three-peat” and a female coach.

13

With innovation comes success, and the Bandits can claim success. As can Norrie. Thisappointment comes as just reward for her dedication and commitment to the game.
Observed by Bandits head coach, David Nilsson as she mentored female Queensland teamsquad members alongside the Bandits squad, he recognised her capabilities and offered her
the role.
Norrie was initially worried that she might not be accepted in the team due to her gender, butwith the support of both Nilsson and Bandits CEO Mark Ready, the entry was surprisingly
easy. Says Norrie “Initially I thought that I would be mainly observing, but David gave me theopportunity to coach third and first base, throw to hitters in batting practice and hit fungos(fielding practice) in training.” These responsibilities firmly position Norrie as a legitimate
member of this history making team.

Norrie’s resume includes Assistant Coach for the Australian Women’s National Team (theEmeralds) in 2014 in Korea, where they knocked the intimidating USA team out of medal
contention with her coaching first base. She has previously managed and played on the
Queensland State Team, and also has a long history in softball as a Queensland
representative. Having been around the game a long time, Norrie tells of her experience with
the Bandits that “baseball is baseball, there wasn’t a lot new around the game itself, however
I learned a lot being exposed to the professionalism of the team, and the behind the scene
processes like managing different personalities, pitching rotations and bullpens (to get themost out of players and staff).”
Norrie will again join the Emeralds when they vie for the title of World Champion at the 2018
Women’s World Cup in Florida this August. She hopes the experience she has gained being
part of the Bandit’s elite environment will help the Emeralds campaign. Adding that to her
second time around on the world stage, there is no doubt she will contribute to the Emeralds
success in 2018
But before then she has a unique task … to supply her ring size to the ABL. A long standing
tradition of baseball is the championship ring, and no offence to her husband Chris, there is
no doubt this piece of jewellery will hold pride of place on her dresser at night.
We all look forward to the time when a female coach is not ground breaking. But until thenwe will continue to celebrate the successes of the pioneers like Lisa Norrie that pave the way
for future generations of women in sport.

Beyond the Game TV (21 March 2018)
Susan Alberti - on the Australian Football League Women's (AFLW)
What an inspirational and passionate woman who has truly given back to her community and has
done wonders for AFLW.
Susan Alberti speaks out and answers her critics.
Watch the short video

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VicHealth (March 2018)
About this girl can – Victoria
Click here to watch the This Girl Can – Victoria commercial.
Jump to Frequently Asked Questions
This Girl Can – Victoria is here to celebrate and support Victorian women (yep, you!)embracing physical activity in a way that suits you. Whether it’s a little or a lot, what mattersis getting some movement into your day.
While many of us know that exercising is important for our physical and mental health, that
doesn’t change the fact that half of us aren’t getting enough exercise each week.
Why? Victorian women have told us that a big part of not trying new activities or getting
involved in sport is a fear of being judged, or not being fit enough to start. Not to mention,
twice as many women than men put off getting active because they’re worried about what
other people think – how unfair is that? Sports, gyms and moving your body are foreverybody (literally, every body).
So we’re banding together to put a red-hot stop to this.
Because it’s perfectly normal to get sweaty and messy when you’re having fun and getting
active. Because moving and making time for your health doesn’t need to be a chore.
Because there are so many options, and we’re on a mission to help you find something thatfeels right for you.
This Girl Can – Victoria is an empowering campaign from VicHealth, based on SportEngland’s highly successful This Girl Can campaign (which motivated a whopping 3.9 million
women in England to take their fitness into their own hands). After seeing the impact there,
the VicHealth team was inspired to get involved – and now, Australia is the first country in
the world to license this powerful campaign.
Want to get involved? Learn how you can inspire more women to get more active: register toaccess the This Girl Can – Victoria Promotional Toolkit, or download our free guide to help
you create more welcoming environments for women.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or get in touch at
thisgirlcan@vichealth.vic.gov.au. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
View the website

Inside the games reports (28 March 2018)
Russell appointed chief executive at Swimming Australia
Swimming Australia has appointed experienced sports administrator Leigh Russell as its
new chief executive, it was announced today.
Russell is the first woman to hold the role within the national governing body and she is due
to take up the position on April 16, the day after the conclusion of the CommonwealthGames here.
She replaces the interim chief executive Chris Forbes, chosen on a temporary basis

15

following the departure of Mark Anderson to Australian Football League (AFL) club
Collingwood.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

BRAZILNews on events supplied by IAPESGW board member Beatriz Ferrreira:
1. The International Women’s Day was celebrate in different situation in Brazil. The aim
was to recognise and support the women’s empowerment and gender equality. There weredifferent conferences, debates on tv, discussion on benefits of physical activity for women,
and so on.
2. 2018 World Day for Physical Activity
The Physical Fitness Research Laboratory of Sao Caetano do Sul – CELAFISCS, Brazil – isinviting all the world organizations to take part in the 2018 World Day for Physical Activity.
This day will be celebrated for the 17th time since 2002, each year on 6th April, 2018.
This year’s theme is Be Active
You can see information of the program on the website below:
http://www.celafiscs.org.br/index.php/eventos/item/dia-mundial-de-atividade-fisica-2018seja-ativos-todos-os-dias
In Brazil there will be a parade on 6th April, 2018 (see the site below):
http://www.celafiscs.org.br/index.php/eventos/item/caminhada-agita-mundo-2018
You can send information to be published about the good physical activity practice during
the year
http://www.celafiscs.org.br/index.php/eventos/item/boas-praticas-2018
You can send information the virtual waling about what you have been done (see site
below):
http://www.celafiscs.org.br/index.php/eventos/item/caminhada-virtual-participe-conosco

CANADA
National Post ( 28 February 2018)
Budget 2018 plays long game when it comes to boosting number of women in sports
OTTAWA — The Liberal government wants to see gender equality in Canadian sports —from the local arena to the Olympics — by 2035, a vision articulated in a federal budget
aimed at increasing opportunities for women and girls.
The long-term target comes with $30 million over three years to get the ball rolling towards
that goal, including for data and research to figure out why fewer women and girls take partin sports or other physical activity than do men and boys.
“Once we better understand why women and girls choose not to participate in sport, or moveinto the senior ranks of coaching or management of sport, we can then work to remove
those barriers,” Jocelyn Sweet, a spokeswoman for the Department of Finance, wrote in an
email Wednesday.

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The budget said the money would also support innovative practices to tackle the problem, as
well as efforts by national sports organizations to promote a higher rate of participation of
women and girls, both on the ice and behind the bench.
Statistics Canada estimated in 2010 that about one-third of Canadian men regularly
participated in sport, compared with just one-sixth of Canadian women.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (20 March 2018)
Taekwondo Canada welcomes Anderson as executive director
Taekwondo Canada has appointed Carla Anderson, formerly the director of Games for the
Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), as their executive director.
According to a Taekwondo Canada release, Anderson, who was with the COC for 29 years
until her departure in October 2016, will be "responsible for developing opportunities for
Taekwondo Canada, and will drive the vision to develop, promote, expand and sustain ourorganisation".
Anderson will also be expected to provide overall management of the day-to-day operations
and to work closely with the Board of Directors in developing the organisation in a manner"consistent with the mission and goals of Taekwondo Canada".
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

COLUMBIA
Profesora Doctora Luz Amelia Hoyos Cuartas, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá Colombia kindly sent us this item for inclusion....

In Colombia, women's day is celebrated, as a special day for the recognition of women's
rights, and special attention is given to women who belong to vulnerable groups such as:displaced women or women victims of violence.
In the same way, during the month of March, events are held in which women who haveplayed an important role in different areas are recognized; as social leaders, academics,
project managers. It also highlights the role of women athletes who in recent decades haverepresented our country internationally with great achievements.
The Olimpic Comite of Colombia (COC), organized last week a academic event: Equality,
Diversity and Gender in the Sport. The porpuse of this event is the development andapplication of strategies, policies and activities that promove gender equality, the inclusionand diversity in the sport practice.

IRAN
Female Coaching Network reports (19 March 2018)Child’s tears spark weightlifting protest that raises bar for Iran’s sportswomen (Iran)If you are good at weightlifting in Iran, you can become as rich as a Premier League
footballer. The country boasts 300 professional weightlifters, dedicated arenas in every

17

sizable town, and full-time officials in all 31 provinces. When an Olympic champion got
married in 2006, his wedding made national television news.
“Weightlifting is more popular in Iran than in any other country,” said Mohammad Barkhah,
the national team’s head coach. Only football is more popular and, as with football, the sport
has historically been an overwhelmingly male domain – until now. Next month four
teenagers are set to become the first female weightlifters to represent Iran – in a competitionin Uzbekistan. The young women have the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in their sights,
and weightlifting has become an unlikely vehicle of female empowerment.
The change has come about thanks in part to a remarkable alliance between Iran and theUS, and the efforts of an eight-year-old girl who won nationwide support for the women’scause last weekend.
Aysan Adib was in tears when security men enforced a ban on females entering the arena
for a men’s international competition, the Fajr Cup, in Ahvaz, south-west Iran. Religious
leaders in Khuzestan province had given permission for the ban to be relaxed, but because
the signed paperwork was not presented the security guards refused them entry. Aysan, andsix-year-old Yeganeh Bandeh Khodo, thus missed a unique chance to show off their skills ina demonstration scheduled for the penultimate day of the event.
The result was a passionate protest that rapidly went viral. Ursula Garza Papandrea, one of
the most senior women in the sport, who headed a US delegation of three to thecompetition, joined the exiled girls outside in protest.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Inside the games reports (7 March 2018)
Religious authorities' decision helps to fuel Iranian weightlifting's surge in popularity
Religious authorities from Khuzestan province have signed papers that will help Iran's
national weightlifting federation to stage a landmark event tomorrow, and add to the growing
popularity of the sport there.
The authorities have given special approval for women to attend a men's competition for the
first time.
Women are not normally allowed to watch men performing, nor are men allowed to attend
women's sports events in Iran.
This is a highly contentious issue in football, as many Iranian women have highlighted with
their recent attempts to enter stadiums, but the restrictions have been lifted for the Fajr Cup,an international weightlifting competition that began today here in Ahvaz.
Not only will women be allowed to watch, but there will be a woman coaching a man in the
62 kilograms class when Derrick Johnson, the lone American competitor, lifts tomorrow
afternoon.
Johnson is coached by Ursula Garza Papandrea, President of USA Weightlifting and an
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) vice-president who is in Iran to help launch thenation's new women's weightlifting programme, as is technical official Sally Van De water.
Both women will break new ground as the first female coach and referee at men's contests.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

18

MEXICO
Women’s soccer course for coaches in Mexico
At the sport facilities of the Faculty of Sport Organization at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo
Leon, took place a training course for female Mexican coaches of women's soccer. This ispart of the sports diplomacy course of the United States embassy in Mexico, working in
partnership with the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF). The main interest are the issues of
Mexican girls and women’s empowerment through sports; soccer is considered as the mostpopular sport in Mexico, and it is also a sport where the United States has been really
successful, particularly women’s soccer team.
The Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) has indicated that it is really important that every
platform of women’s soccer in Mexico has the capacity of full development, ensuring that allcoaches who take care of the girls and women (in women’s soccer) obtain the best training,
being the basis of all sportive development. The course also provides tools of technical,
tactical and psychological knowledge to promote and environment for the human andsportive development. The main interest is having soccer players fully and psychologicallytrained in the same way as skilled in order to transcend to the next soccer tiers in the
country. In Mexico, it has been started the Mx women’s league, being the first soccer league
at professional level where it is really important that coaches participate actively and have incharge the development of the soccer players to be trained and prepared in order to provide
them a better future in the sports side and making them better persons.

From: Dr. Jeannette López
Alejandra Gonzalez
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
Facultad de Organización Deportiva (FOD
MexicoNEW ZEALAND
The Guardian reports (13 March 2018)
Rugby union: New Zealand's national women's side receive historic paid contracts
Twenty-three years after men’s rugby union was made professional, New Zealand’s national
women’s team – the Black Ferns – will be offered paid contracts for the first time, valued at
up to NZ$45,000 inclusive of allowances and other payments.
England had previously funded a professional women’s XV ahead of last year’s Rugby
World Cup, however that funding has now been diverted to rugby sevens.

19

The new memorandum of understanding between New Zealand Rugby and the New
Zealand Rugby Players Association sees a minimum of 30 players employed on contracts.
They will also have access to medical and life insurance, as well as maternity leave
entitlements to encourage women to return to the game.
The 30 contracted players will commit 10-14 hours per week to training, as well as 50 days ayear of training camps and playing fixtures. Given the contracts will remain semi-professional
and unable to support a living wage, players will also be encouraged to continue with workand study alongside their sporting commitments.
In addition to the 30 contracted players, a Black Ferns performance programme will allow
another 20 players to train in regional performance hubs, as well as access interim contracts
when called into the squad.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Sport New Zealand (17 March 2018
The Value of Sport
We’ve launched a new study which explores the value of sport to New Zealanders, theircommunities and our country. The Value of Sport is based on extensive research, including
a survey of around 2,000 New Zealanders and a review of previous studies from here andaround the world.
There’s no question sport is at the heart of our national identity, but this study tells us thatbeing physically active also creates happier, healthier people, better connected communities
and a stronger New Zealand.
We’ve developed a print ready infographic illustrating The Value of Sport that we hope you’ll
find useful.
Here are some key findings from the Value of Sport research:
x
x
x
x
x
x

92 per cent of the people we talked to believe being active keeps them physically fit andhealthy, and helps relieve stress
88 per cent believe that sport and other physical activities provide them with
opportunities to achieve and help build confidence
84 per cent believe sport and physical activity bring people together and create a senseof belonging
74 per cent say sport and physical activity help build vibrant and stimulating communities
86 per cent agree that high performance sport both helps instil a sense of pride in ourcountry, and contributes to our national identity as New Zealanders
Sport and active recreation contributes $4.9 billion or 2.3% to our annual GDP, and thesector employs more than 53,000 New Zealanders.

You can read more about the key findings of The Value of Sport in the Main Report.
You can also read the original Research Report that we commissioned.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item20

SOUTH AFRICA
Female Coaching Network reports (19 March 2018)
South Africa Football Association walks the talk on women empowerment in football(South Africa)
The South African Football Association (safa) is proving its seriousness about making
women empowerment in football a priority.
Conversely, the number of women in leadership positions in South African football in thepast five years has grown significantly, albeit, not as fast as SAFA would like.
“While we do face many challenges towards gender equity, we have made significant
progress.”
So said Ria Ledwaba, a SAFA executive committee member, following her presentation at
the CAF Women’s Symposium in Marrakesh, Morocco, last Thursday.
“We are well aware of the patriarchal culture in the South African society, and it is even moreevident in sport, including football. For this reason, we are making a concerted effort toadvance the role of women in football.”
Ledwaba said SAFA wanted to ensure that generations of girls understood that there was afuture for women in sport, particularly in football.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news itemUK
England Golf (27 February 2018)
New report highlights need to grow women and girls’ golf
A new research report published by The R&A underlines how golf can grow significantly if it
attracts more women, girls and families into the sport.
The report brings together a review of all the research on the subject, comments from golf
experts and a host of practical recommendations for golf clubs to consider to get more
women and girls into golf.
These range from increasing the number of women in influential leadership positions to
exploring how to combine childcare and golf participation, perhaps with crèche or play
facilities or junior camps in the evenings or at weekends.
The report has been welcomed by Lauren Spray, England Golf Women and Girls’ Manager,
who commented: “This report puts women and girls’ golf high on the agenda of everyone in
the industry and it confirms that we at England Golf are working on the right lines to grow thegame.
“It’s great to have all the research in one, go-to place and the action points are excellent.
There are many, very good ideas for clubs to consider and discuss with their England Golf
Club Support Officer.”
The signs of growing female interest in golf in England are clear to see. Between 2015 andMarch 2017 over 10,000 women took Get into Golf activities; in the year to March 2017
women accounted for 40% of all new players who took opportunities offered by England21

Golf’s county network; in 2016 girls’ golf grew in 17 counties, leading to a national total of4078 – a two-year high.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item
The report....
Women’s, Girls’ and Family Participation in Golf: An Overview of Existing Research(2018). Royal and Ancient, February 2018 (60 pages)
The key themes identified in the report, which was produced by Dr John Fry and Philip Hall,
include:x

The importance of establishing the optimum environment for family participation by being
aware of the make-up of the modern familyx A direct link between equality in sports participation and wider measures of genderequality such as women in influential decision-making positions in golfx That parents are the chief factor underpinning families’ likelihood to play golf and that
their motivations for their children taking part include having fun, improving health anddeveloping friendships
x The increasing desire for golf to provide opportunities for socialising and to be adaptableand flexible given the time and cost constraints placed on the modern family
x The need for the sport to evolve to meet the demands of contemporary society and forclubs to encourage memorable events for their customers, as that memory itself or the‘experience’, is increasingly replacing the ‘product’ of playing golf
x The research reflects The R&A’s continued drive to encourage more women, girls andfamilies to play golf more regularly, working with its affiliates around the world toenhance golf’s appeal.
Download a copy
View the executive summary (4 pages)

Rugby Football League (28 February 2018)
This Girl Can Play Rugby League: Campaigning for Girls’ Rugby League
Player registrations in the female game are showing good signs of growth, with 28 women's
teams and 52 girls' teams applying to be part of Rugby Football League the competitions in
2018.
The RFL's focus remains on supporting existing grassroots clubs.
Clubs that offer girls and women's Rugby League, or would like to, can access a range of
support from the Rugby Football League including free marketing and promotion assets andmaterials to help with player recruitment in schools and the local community.
Marketing and design support has already been provided to a number of clubs including
Leigh East, West Leeds and Oulton Raidettes.
A programme of support to community clubs is being developed in partnership with the
Women's Super League Founder Clubs to build on existing local work to recruit new players
for the benefit of the Championship competition and the Merit League.
The Champion Schools competition is a key recruitment tool for the girls' game and the
Rugby Football League is ensuring that the Foundations and clubs know which secondary22

schools are driving girls' Rugby League and joining up the schools opportunity so thatteachers and the girls they coach are signposted to local clubs.
In addition, there are a number of coaching opportunities in support of the female game:...................................................................................................................................................
View the full details

Sport England / Club Matters (1 March 2018)
Top tips to engage with more women and girls at your clubTo celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8th), we wanted to take this opportunity to
discuss how your club can encourage more girls and women into sport and improveengagement with existing members. Following the launch of the This Girl Can campaign,
female participation in sport has risen significantly. However, more men still regularly takepartin sport than women, with many women believing there are several barriers stopping themfrom taking part. We want to help you break down these barriers, with some quick and easy
tips that can increase the number of female members at your club and further encourage
your existing members.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the 'Top tips'

Women’s Sports Network (2 March 2018)
Teenage girls & sport – what are the issues?
WSNet launches ROWMoJo, FOOTBALLMoJo & LACROSSEMoJo
On IWDay2018 The Women’s Sports Network will launch a series of kitbag ‘MoJoManuals’ to help teenage girls (teachers, coaches, parents) as they start out in competitive sport, todevelop greater body confidence in parallel with sport-related skills. MoJoManuals are
predicated on 'Physical Literacy' & effective movement. They also cover a wide range ofissues which impact how girls engage/drop out of sport including; Diet & Hydration, Training& Periods, Anxiety, Body Image, Breast Health, Core Stability, Resistance Training . . & Fearof Failure.
View more details

Rugby Football League (6 March 2018)
Inspiring a Generation of Women and GirlsAs excitement builds for the start of the 2018 Women's Rugby League competitions, theRugby Football League is pleased to launch the 'Women and Girls Framework' – bringing
together a range of commitments to develop the sport over the next four years.
The Framework features eight major commitments; ranging from supporting clubs with freecampaigning and marketing assets, developing young female talent, producing morequalified female Rugby League coaches and growing the number of female players, with theultimate aim of England Women winning the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
...................................................................................................................................................

23

Read the Women's Framework in full below:
Women's Framework
View the full news item

Youth Sport Trust (8 March 2018)
New programme sends powerful message to girls
The Youth Sport Trust has teamed up with Sophie Radcliffe, adventure athlete, blogger andnow, youth mentor on a new innovative programme to boost confidence and self-belief
among teenage girls.
Launching on International Women’s Day (8 March) in a bid to tackle rising mental healthproblems among teenage girls, TrailBlazers is a ground breaking youth empowerment
initiative.
It is aimed at helping young girls develop the confidence and skills to navigate their own pathand live courageously. By using the transformative power of adventure, active challenges
and the inspiration of a relatable role model to tackle the alarming decline in mental healthand physical activity among secondary-school aged girls, and advise them how social media
can be used for good and to inspire one another.
More than a third of teenage girls now suffer from anxiety or depression, according to
Department for Education statistics. Research released by the YST and Women in Sportrevealed that fewer than one in ten girls achieve the recommended daily 60 minutes ofphysical activity, attributed to a lack of confidence.
The pilot programme is initially working with 100 year 9 and 10 girls across six schools in
London and Kent. The teenage girls involved will undertake a series of confidence building
challenges, encouraging them to try new things and break out of the bubble of their day to
day lives.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Basketball England (8 March 2018)
Basketball England to launch Girls' 3x3 ProgrammeBasketball England is delighted to announce the launch of a new national 3x3 basketballprogramme for girls that will begin in April 2018.
With the help of funding from FIBA’s Youth Development Fund, the new programme will aim
to begin bridging the gap between male and female participation at the Under 14 level.
Basketball England’s 10 regions will play an important role in the programme throughrecruitment, promotion and organisation.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

24

The Football Association (8 March 2018)
FA launch ambassador scheme on #IWD2018
A new FA initiative to harness the power of former England internationals in a positive andempowering way has been launched on International Women’s Day.
With the England senior team performing so well at the prestigious SheBelieves Cup in the
United States, the spotlight has also fallen on a number of England greats who arecontinuing to play their part in promoting the game.
Whether through the player-to-coach scheme, technical or media roles, the commitment isthere to ensure a pathway for those wanting to stay in football.
Baroness Sue Campbell, FA director of women’s football, said: “We’re delighted to launch
our ambassador scheme.
“Football is a fantastic tool to empower girls and women to take part in sport and throughthat improve their self-esteem and their ability to do well in life.
“These England legends act as positive role models for our young girls both at grassroots
and elite level.”
Among the former players involved are Kelly Smith, Casey Stoney, Faye White, Rachel
Yankey, Alex Scott, Sue Smith, Rachel Brown-Finnis and Sophie Bradley-Auckland.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

England Golf (8 March 2018)
Girls’ Golf is Rocking into 2018
Girls Golf Rocks is back for 2018 - with great plans to involve even more girls and spread therecruitment project further across the country.
This year it’s running in 21 counties with Berkshire, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Surrey,
Sussex and Warwickshire joining the campaign.
Girls Golf Rocks will also be backed by Facebook advertising to help spread the message
that golf is fun, friendly and great for girls.
Last year over 860 girls attended Girls Golf Rocks taster sessions and 730 enjoyed it somuch they went on to take a coaching course with PGA professionals. The newcomers aresupported by girls from county squads who act as ambassadors.
This year, Girls Golf Rocks will also be going ‘On Tour’ in eight counties. They’ll be runninggolf days with fun competitions to encourage new players to get out on the course and enjoy
themselves with friends.
The Tour was successfully trialled in Essex this summer and will also run in 2018 in
Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Dorset, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk andNottinghamshire.
The other counties involved in Girls Golf Rocks in 2018 are Bedfordshire, Cumbria, Kent,
Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire and Yorkshire.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

25

Rugby Football Union (8 March 2018)
England Rugby announces support for Onside campaignxx

The Onside campaign is aimed at supporting women and girls in sport
Over 30,000 women and girls are now playing regular club rugby

England Rugby has announced that it is partnering with the Women’s Sport Trust for their
Onside campaign.
The campaign, a Women’s Sport Trust initiative, seed funded by Sport England, is aimed at
engaging men and boys as role models to speak up and take action to support women andgirls in sport.
England Rugby also announced today that over 30,000 women and girls are now regularly
playing club rugby (double that of the number playing just four years ago), and England
Rugby will work with the Women’s Sport Trust on Onside to utilise the support of the rugby
community, particularly male players, to encourage support for women across the game.
......................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

Rugby Football Union (8 March 2018)
International Women's Day in numbers
View the details

England Squash (8 March 2018)
England Squash launches new campaign to entice more females on court
We're thrilled to launch a new national campaign to encourage more women and girls on
court.
The new social media campaign, which is part of the Squash Girls Can initiative, seeks toraise the profile of squash amongst women and girls, change perceptions and showcase thebenefits the sport can bring.
Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, the new campaign has been designed
to challenge the gender gap in squash, where currently only one in four players are female,and highlight how accessible and inclusive the sport is.
......................................................................................................................................................
The campaign sees the launch of a new video promo and a Squash Girls Can session map toenable new players to find their nearest session. A toolkit has also been developed for any
leaders or coaches seeking to deliver female-only sessions.
View the full news item26

Path to Success (8 March 2018)
Path to Tokyo 2020: Path to Success launches campaign to sponsor women indisability sport
British charity to sponsor group of female athletes in support of International Women’s Day, as
they seek to achieve their dream of Paralympic Gold.
In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, leading disability charity Path toSuccess has announced the launch of a new campaign to support talented British women indisability sport.
Path to Success will provide sponsorship for women competing in four major disability sports;
Para-Equestrian Dressage, Para Powerlifting, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis,
with further sponsorship announcements to follow later this year.
The Path to Tokyo initiative will provide financial support for women in disability sport who
need funding to pursue their dream of competing for a medal at the Paralympic Games.
......................................................................................................................................................
View the full press release

Loughborough University (8 March 2018)
Eating breakfast every day increases physical activity among girls
Girls were more active when they ate breakfast daily as part of a study into whether breakfast
frequency affects physical activity.
Researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Bedfordshire conducted theresearch among 27 adolescent girls who ate a standard breakfast on seven consecutive days.
The same girls then ate breakfast on three days alternating with four days of eating no
breakfast over another seven-day period.
The results showed that the girls were more active in the morning and after school, and lessactive after school, when breakfast was eaten daily than when it was eaten intermittently overthe seven-day periods.
The findings were outlined in the paper, Physical activity duration but not energy expenditure
differs between daily and intermittent breakfast consumption in adolescent girls: a randomized
crossover trial, published in the Journal of Nutrition.
...................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

The Royal & Ancient (13 March 2018)
Funding to attract women and girls into golf
The R&A is continuing its commitment to increase participation in golf among women and girls
by providing funding to support the appointment of new development managers in Australia,
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Working with its affiliates around the world to enhance golf’s appeal, the investment forms partof the governing body’s drive to encourage more women, girls and families to play golf moreregularly across the globe and to go on to become members of golf clubs.
An initial three-year funding package of £75,000 per nation, has been agreed between The
R&A, Golf Australia, England Golf, the Golfing Union of Ireland / the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union,
Scottish Golf and Wales Golf for the recruitment and appointment of experienced sports
development staff.
......................................................................................................................................................
View the full news item

27

Sport Northern Ireland
Active, Fit & Sporty - Update March 2018
The Active, Fit and Sporty partnership celebrated International Women’s Day on 8th Marchwith a ‘Lessons from Sport and Business’ conference held by Ulster Rugby at the Kingspan
Stadium.
The attendees heard from Ellvena Graham, president of the NI Chamber of Commerce andIndustry. After working in the banking world for 20 years, Ellvena now holds a number of wideranging board roles (including the Electricity Supply Board, Belfast Waterfront & Ulster Halland the Senate of Queens’ University Belfast) and she drew on this experience in addressing
the conference. Ellvena inspired all those at the conference to take any opportunities offered
to us, “your attitude, not your aptitude determines your altitude.”
The conference was also addressed by Jackie Henry and Karen Butler from Deloitte NI’s
senior management team who outlined the company’s talent strategy. Speaking of their
BrightStart programme and academy model, they demonstrated that diversity is the key toDeloitte’s talent strategy.
The day was led and introduced by Dorothy Jones, the founder of Marlagh Training, acompany specialising in communication skills and training for business and community
leaders. As well as hosting the event, Dorothy provided a workshop examining the differencesin communication for males and females. The entertaining topic made us all examine how wecommunicate and the best way we can use our words, tone and body language.
The final speaker was former Ireland women’s rugby international Mazzie Reilly. Mazzie
outlined her initial steps into the rugby world right up to her first international cap and how shethen went on to represent Ireland at three rugby world cups. Entertaining throughout, Mazzie
shared several memories from her international rugby career, including facing the mighty New
Zealand in the 2014 women’s rugby world cup. Mazzie explained you need three qualities tosucceed in the sporting world – a wishbone, a funny bone and a backbone – shedemonstrated all three to those gathered at the conference.
We also celebrated the success of the Active, Fit & Sporty partnership on International
Women’s Day. In particular, we highlighted the fantastic work two of our partners have been
doing during the past year. WISPA (Women in Sport and Physical Activity) have seen 1378
women attend their 86 programmes across Belfast, and have worked with a whopping 69
community partners during the last year. WISPA believe that their model of delivery empowers
the women who participate to make healthier lifestyle choices and this in turn improves theiroverall physical and mental health and wellbeing. WISPA offer a variety of classes to engage
with women, including boxercise, Zumba, aerobics, dancercise, Pilates, circuit training,armchair aerobics and many, many more.
Youth Sport Trust have been facilitating Girls Active programmes in 17 schools acrossNorthern Ireland for the past year, with one school, Killicomaine Junior High School, being
recognised for their contribution to the programme. At the recent Youth Sport Trust awards,
the school was awarded highly commended for their section, ‘Best Secondary School in theUK.’ The school have demonstrated their passion for getting all their girls active during thepast year with the establishment of the Girls Leadership and Marketing squad (GLAMs), newafter-schools activities and their own ‘Like a Girl’ video which encouraged the girls to run,throw, fight and hit just ‘like a girl!’
International Women’s Day was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on what the partnership has
achieved so far and also provided us with plenty of inspiration to continue working towards
getting women and girls active, fit and sporty!
Lauren Callender
Development AssistantSport Northern Ireland

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Women in Sport - E-Newsletter, March 2018 - available to view
Publications.....
International Women’s Day: Steps Being Taken to Press for Gender Equality Globally
Debate on 8 March 2018. House of Lords Library, 28 February 2018 (18 pages)
This House of Lords Library Briefing has been produced for the debate taking place in theHouse of Lords on 8 March 2018, to mark International Women’s Day, on “the steps being
taken to press for progress on gender equality globally”. It provides an overview of the global
situation regarding gender equality, the UK’s position, and actions taken by the UK
Government to promote gender equality overseas and domestically.
Download a copy
The Football Association Gender Pay Report 2017. The Football Association, released
March 2018 (2 pages)
In January 2018, The FA announced a significant number of initiatives to improve thediversity, inclusion and culture of our organisation. We are committed to becoming a morediverse organisation that will better represent the people who play football at every level of thegame.
This report contains important information on The FA’s gender pay gap as required by law, as
well as additional information which we are voluntarily disclosing and believe provides helpful
background and context.
Download a copy

Active Lives Adult Survey November 16/17 Report. Sport England, March 2018 (18pages)
Welcome to the third Active Lives Adult Survey Report summarising activity levels in Englandfrom November 2016 to November 2017.
With only two full years of data it is too early to meaningfully talk about trends over time, but
based on these results, it is fair to say that the picture is one of stability.
Alongside presenting the latest national picture of engagement in sport and physical activity,
we have included references to where there have been statistically significant changes in thelast year, which you will see indicated with arrows. Where there is no change, or it is within themargin of error and therefore too small to be confident there is a genuine difference, it isrecorded as ‘no change’.
The intention of this report is to give the big picture in an easily digestible format. For those
who want to explore the data further, there are links in this report to the data tables. If you
would like to carry out your own analysis of the data take a look at our Active Lives Analysis
Tool, which can be found at: activelives.sportengland.org. The tool will enable you to explore
the data and focus on your own areas of interest.
Download a copy

Physical activity and the environment NICE guideline. National Institute for Health andCare Excellence, 22 March 2018 (57 pages)
This guideline covers how to improve the physical environment to encourage and support
physical activity. The aim is to increase the general population’s physical activity levels. The
recommendations in this guideline should be read alongside NICE's guideline on physicalactivity: walking and cycling.

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This guideline includes recommendations on:
strategies, policies and plans to increase physical activity in the local environment
active travel
public open spaces
buildings
schools
Download a copy

An event....
Women in Sport - The Empower Conference
18 October 2018, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London
The Empower Conference combines fresh thinking with the latest research and welcomes top
UK journalists, broadcasters, sportswomen and industry leaders to consider how sport canlevel the playing field for women and girls.
With a number of keynote speakers, a choice of afternoon “in focus” sessions, plus therelease of Women in Sport’s new research into the visibility of women’s sport in the media,
this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to learn, discuss and network with peers from the sports
and media sectors.
Located at the iconic, delegates will also get behind-the-scenes insights and access to theMuseum’s new Votes for Women exhibition and the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron gallery.
View more details

USA
Duluth News Tribune (15 March 2018)‘A big day for women’: Jury sides with Miller, orders UMD to pay $3.74 million
An exuberant Shannon Miller emerged from the front doors of the federal courthouse in Duluth
on Thursday afternoon, pumping her fists amid cheers and celebratory music from a crowd ofsupporters.
Minutes earlier, jurors awarded the former University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey
coach $3.74 million after an eight-day trial in her lawsuit against her longtime employer.
The jury of eight women and four men took a little over four hours to find that UMD
discriminated against Miller on the basis of her sex and retaliated against her for making Title
IX complaints when officials decided in December 2014 not to offer her a new contract.
“It’s a big day for women,” Miller proclaimed on the courthouse steps. “Women in general, but
especially women in college athletics.”
Standing by her side, Miller’s lead attorney, Dan Siegel, used the word “brave” to describe hisclient, crediting her for taking on the three-year legal battle to great personal sacrifice.
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View the full news item

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More background.....
Becky Carlson, D-I NCAA Coach, Founder of The Fearless Coach (15 March 2018)
Miller vs UMD: 5 Reasons this Case is Vital to the Future of Women in College Athletics
In 2015, Coach Shannon Miller's contract was not renewed, essentially firing her from her post
as head coach of the women's ice hockey program at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
This mid season non-renewal was unprecedented and to date there have been zero malecoaches in college athletics that have been let go by institutions claiming they could no longer
afford their salary. Most of what the public knows about the case is what they gather fromoccasional press releases and social media. Despite what the critics believe, this monumental
case is not and never has been solely about damages, or proving who did what to who.
Consider the Miller case as a gift or an open book of quite common experiences for women incollege athletics everywhere. This real-life event is a window of unbridled access to a 10,000
foot perspective that has the potential to create lasting value for the future of women coaches
in college athletics.
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View the full article

Champion Women reports (23 March 2018)
The SafeSport Act is Now Law, and Congress Approved funding for the U.S. Center for
SafeSport
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Authorization of SafeSport Act(SafeSport Act) has been passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law! We justfound out yesterday that Congress has allocated $2.5 million in funding the U.S. Center for
SafeSport. This is important because the Center is responsible for taking complaints,
conducting investigations, holding hearings and then issuing a sanction or clearing a member.
That's a lot of work! As the Center celebrates its first anniversary, there have been a whopping
600 complaints filed. That just goes to show how desperately the independent entity wasneeded to remove abusers from sport.
These are great strides in protecting athletes from sexual abuse. But one thing we've learned
for sure is that getting the statute passed is a crucial step, but not the finish line. there is still along way to go in educating the sports community about what is required, and about changing
a culture steeped in conformity and obedience. In some sports, the culture still hasn't rooted
out the problem of coaches "dating" (read; abusing) the athletes they coach. So, if you havetime and money, please, donate and help stop abuse in sports today.
Information received by email

Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, College of Education, Health, and Human
Sciences, University of Tennessee (19 March 2018)
CSPS Meets U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Speaks at SXSW Festival
Over the past month, directors from the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society travelled
throughout the United States celebrating the powerful impact of sport in the lives of women atseveral significant events, including the 2018 South by Southwest Festival, the Los Angeles
Women in the World Salon, and the USA Gold Medal Women’s Hockey Tour.
Logging thousands of travel miles, the CSPS continues to receive national and international
invitations as it establishes itself as the preeminent center for sport and women’s
empowerment in the United States.
In February, Sarah Hillyer, director of the center, was on the red carpet as an official
representative interviewing the incredible women involved in the L.A. Women in the World31

salon. Founded by media mogul Tina Brown in 2010, Women in the World annually brings
together the world’s most powerful women for national events where they discuss relevant
gender issues. At this event, more than 200 audience members were present to hear fromspeakers such as Academy Award winner Viola Davis, heroic British-Syrian doctor Rola
Hallam, and Marinus Analytics CEO Emily Kennedy, among others.
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View the full news item

International Update, March 201832