International Working
Group on Women & Sport

2022
PROGRESSREPORT

SUMMARY

International Working Group on Women & Sport
Aotearoa New Zealand Secretariat 2018-2022
Women in Sport Aotearoa,
Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa
November 2022

Robyn Cockburn
Lucy Atkinson

22022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORTCONTENTS
1

LEADING CHANGE

4

1.1

Context

4

1.2

Looking Back5

1.3

Respondents

5

1.4

2022 Priority Issues

6

1.5

Report Overview

7

2

A SUMMARY OF ACTION

8

2.1

Monitoring Progress

8

2.2 Strategies, Investment and Evaluation
2.3 Leadership – Decision-makers,
Coaches, Officials

10

2.4 Participation

11

2.5

12

High-performance Sport

9

2.6 Health and Well-being

13

2.8 Female-Friendly Spaces

14

2.9 Media

15

3

IMPACT OF COVID-19

16

4

BARRIERS TO EQUITY

195

FOCUSING ON PROGRESS

22

6

CHANGE INSPIRES CHANGE

23

7

BRIGHTON PLUS HELSINKI 2014
DECLARATION ON WOMEN AND SPORT

24

7.1

Principles

24

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT

3

1

LEADINGCHANGEThe participation of girls and women in
sport and active recreation is subject to‘intersectional influences issuing frommainstream culture, religion and patriarchy’.
WOMEN IN SPORT/INTERNATIONAL

1.1 CONTEXTIn May 1994 the ‘Women, Sport and the Challenge of Change’
conference took place in Brighton, England, organised and hosted by
the former British Sports Council and supported by the International
Olympic Committee, bringing together different organisations andcountries to share ideas and experiences from within the global
women and sport movement.
The conference itself was a starting point for change including thelaunch of the Brighton Declaration plus the creation of the International
Working Group on Women & Sport (IWG).
Since 1998 the IWG have commissioned a quadrennial progress reportto track the impact of four years of intervention at local and global levels,
surveying the signatories to the 2014 Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration.
This report provides a summary of progress on women and girls in sportand physical activity since the IWG Progress Report 2013-2018 (2018Progress Report), including:• high level results with evidence of change• key emerging themes• COVID-19 and its implications for girls and women in both sport andphysical activity• priorities for action.

42022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORTBotswana Big Five
Recommendations

1.2 LOOKING BACKKey themes and recommendations thatemerged from the 2018 progress report included:• women in leadership1• gender based violence• media coverage and portrayal of womenin sport• gender mainstream strategies• policy and action planning for gender equality,• gender based research, monitoringand evaluation.
These were combined with the discussion at
the 7th IWG Conference in 2018 conference
and recommendations resulting in the IWG’s
Botswana Big 5 recommendations.

These came from around the world: Europe(32%), Asia (16%), the Americas (12%) Africa (11%),and Oceania (6%) as well as from organisations
with an international focus (24%).

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT

Increased coverage ofwomen’s sport without
limiting stereotypes

2

Accountability

3

Representation

Increase transparent
resource allocation

Equitable leadership roles

1.3 RESPONDENTS
In 2022 the survey received responses froma wide range of organisations including:ministry or government departments/sport
and/or recreation councils (9%), Olympic
or Paralympic committees (19%), sport
federations/organisations (57%), women in sportorganisations/groups (10%), sports or recreation
clubs and groups (1%), and tertiary education
providers (1%).

Media

4

Research topractice

Evidence based policies
and practices

5

Communication
IWG digital platform

5

1.4 2022 PRIORITY ISSUES
Feedback from the 2022 respondents indicates that somesimilar issues recorded in the 2018 Progress Report remain
while some new priorities are emerging.

2022 2018

IssuesLack of women in leadership positions
Gender based violence in sport

COVID-19 has had
an economic effectthat impacts women’s
rights. Women are thefirst to give up theirpositions if children
and aging parents areat home due to thepandemic, leaving
them vulnerable.

Lack of women’s coverage/portrayal
in sports media
Lack of women coaches and instructors
Discrimination/gender bias in elite system
Lack of gender mainstream strategies
Lack of policy and action plans forgender equity
Lack of gender-based researchand evaluation

WOMEN IN SPORT ORGANISATION/
INTERNATIONAL.

As highlighted in the 2018 Progress Report, one of the biggest
barriers to achieving equity for girls and women in sport and/or physical activity lies in the fact that sport and physicalactivity are based on an outdated model that does not reflectmodern society and the societal progress that has been
made and contemporary events. COVID-19, in particular, has
had negative consequences for women and girls, and sportand physical activity have also been impacted.

62022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT1.5 REPORT OVERVIEW
The topics covered in this report include:• policy, strategy and action planning and research to
track progress• leadership and decision-making including the focus ofhuman resources on girls and women• coaching and instruction, education and coaching
programmes and materials, referees, judges and umpires• participation in physical activity and sport both in schools
and in the wider context• high-performance sport including the elite-level system andretirement from elite sport• health and well-being including gender-based violence andeating disorders• female-friendly places including facilities, environments
and childcare• media coverage and portrayal• the impact of COVID-19 on progress.
Each section of the report provides:• a summary of the current situation including data andcomparative analysis with the previous reporting period• examples of action being taken including links to the IWG
Insight Hub• reasons for action and inaction• insights based on the evidence available• recommendations for future action.
The full IWG Progress Report 2022 is available on the IWG
Insight Hub: https://www.iwginsighthub.org/

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7

2A SUMMARY
OF ACTION

In nearly all areasof investigation,organisations and theiractivities have had
positive impacts on
reducing the inequities
experienced by girls
and women in sport andphysical activity.
The primary reasons thatorganisations gave for
not taking action were:• a lack of resources• that the specificfocus was not
currently a priority• that this topic
was out of theirorganisational scope.
There are however anumber of areas forintervention where there
is low recognition and/or acceptance that asituation [such as lackof childcare] is an issue.
These are explored in
more detail in the bodyof this report.

8

2.1 MONITORING PROGRESS
Monitoring progress has been a key recommendation ofmany reports and is included in the Botswana Big 5.
The 2022 Progress Report survey collected information
about research, evidence and analysis in the topics listed.
While there has been an increase in the proportion of
respondent organisations with action plans focusing on
equity for girls and women, there has been little change in
the number of those commissioning or undertaking researchwhich specifically focuses on females in sport and physicalactivity. Capacity, resources and staffing are the main
reasons preventing 29% of the organisations surveyed fromundertaking female-focused research.
There has, however, been an increase in research, data andevaluation focused on understanding athletes, organisational
staff, coaches and leaders through a gender lens.
A considerable range of research has been undertaken.
Athlete-focused research has included gender-specificneeds and concerns, health issues (injury and illness), safety(e.g. headgear), physical conditioning and a specific focus on
menstruation.
There has been considerable data collected about
participation, including strategies and tactics to increase
participation of girls and women.
Many organisations are tracking gender balance in senior
and governance roles, across coaching and officials,
and some are using these insights to develop specificinterventions to improve the pathways, confidence andcompetence of women in these areas.

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORTThere is increased recognition of the value of femalefocused research and that research can guide policy andprogrammes by focusing attention on specifically identified
areas. More emphasis needs to be placed on tracking
performance over time.
More than three quarters of respondents who had undertaken
research were prepared to share this information, and this will
be hosted on the Insight Hub as part of completing the IWG
Progress Report.

2.2 STRATEGIES,INVESTMENT AND
EVALUATION
Areas of major change are:• strategies, policies and plans with agender perspective• gender targets• monitoring and evaluation• investment

76%
67%
56%
54%

We work to ensure
others policies
use a gender lens,have advised oninternational genderpolicies such as the
IOC and any policies
that are aligned togender related issues
such as safeguarding
policies.
WOMEN IN SPORT/INTERNATIONAL

Singly, or in combination, these activities have effectively
increased the number of women and girls participating inrecreation and sport, and reflect a greater understandingof the processes that drive change. However, nearly half ofthe policies and plans have no specific resource allocation,and fewer than half of respondents (46%) have evaluatedtheir plans.

Recommendation 1

Continue to apply a gender lens to collect baseline
information and track impact through project andprogramme evaluations.

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2.3 LEADERSHIP – DECISION MAKERS,
COACHES, OFFICIALS
A considerable proportion of the respondent organisations have been
taking action to ensure that women are in positions of influence and/or that girls and women were a focus for action. In addition, nearly
three-quarters had undergone constitutional change.
Areas of focus included:• actions to increase the number of women as leaders• staff or groups with gender focus, women’s committees• girls and women focused roles• gender committees

85%
40%
33%
16%

Leadership and decision-making by women are being achieved
through: constitutional change (74%), mentoring (60%), training (60%),
networks (57%) and quotas (51%).
Coaches and instructors have been a focus for nearly three quartersof respondents. There was a reduced focus on referees, umpires,
officials (51% was 58%). Tactics used included: campaigns, womenonly courses and changed training and development materials.

Recommendation 2

Collect and share case studies on the IWG Insight Hub asa useful resource for other organisations wanting to drivechange. Include sample constitutions, training and mentoring
programme resources, links to research and evaluations.

Recommendation 3

Design and deliver training and development programmes
and resources that acknowledge the specific requirements ofgirls and women as athletes, coaches, referees and umpires.

Recommendation 4

Drive system change to achieve gender balance throughout
organisations, from board to place of play, creating
environments where women thrive. Promote the businesscase of women in sport leadership as a key benefit.

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2.4 PARTICIPATION
It is likely that COVID-19 had an impact on delivery in some contexts andmay explain the decline in the proportion of respondent organisations
that have focused on increasing the participation of girls and women.
However, a greater range of interventions are being used.
Physical activity in schools (52% was 66%), has included initiatives
focused on staff training (80%), girls trained to coach/officiate (78%),
leadership programmes (71%) and girls-only opportunities (71%).
Organisations taking action to promote participation have reduced,(85% was 91%) however, organisations are using a range of the following
approaches: training of personnel (76%), action plan (69%) anddedicated resources (56%).
The proportion of respondent organisations providing transport to sportand offering girls-only facilities has also decreased. This however remains
a priority for some organisations especially in places where travellingalone is too dangerous, and where dedicated female-only facilities are theonly way by which some young women get to participate.
Organisations need to refocus their efforts on increasing theparticipation of girls and women, a strategy of particular importanceand value in a post-COVID-19 world. Training of staff, action plans with agender focus and dedicated resources, safe travel and female-focusedfacilities are just some of many ways by which this can occur.

Recommendation 5

Continue empowering girls through developing theirleadership and coaching skills.

Recommendation 6

Prioritise planning, resourcing and implementation ofprogrammes that target those most highly impacted by thesocial and economic consequences of COVID-19.

Recommendation 7

Continue addressing issues of safe transport to sport andactive recreation.

Recommendation 8

Leverage the new delivery modes tested during COVID-19 toprovide programmes that reach a wider audience.

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2.5 HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORT
Elite sport (75%) also had a positive increase in actions to improve thesituation for girls and/women, with activities including: campaigns toincrease women coaches/leaders (74%), harm prevention policies (63%),
funding allocations (60%) and support for emerging athletes (48%).
There are some examples of the power of the athlete voice as a criticalcomponent in change.
There has been a slight decrease in organisations supporting women into
retirement from elite performance (36% was 40%), which may be dueto the extended Olympic cycle. Interventions have included: education
opportunities (61%), careers coaching (57%) and workshops/seminars (57%).
Only a small percentage of respondents said that improving thesituation for women in elite sport was ‘not an issue’. This is a majorchange from the previous report.
The challenges for women in elite sport are now in the media headlights,
and audiences are hearing more from women athletes. The situation has
started to improve, beginning with a willingness to admit to issues, and toaddress harm prevention, funding, support, and retirement issues.

Recommendation 9

Structure the high-performance-sports system to value
women as athletes, coaches and umpires, allowing careerdevelopment without prejudice or barriers.

Recommendation 10

Continue to build policies and practices that keep girls andwomen safe in all sporting contexts, but particularly in highperformance, where girls and women can thrive and lead, andshare their knowledge and skills.

Recommendation 11

Develop and implement systems that support athletes intheir preparation for retirement, and their transition fromcompetition to retirement.

122022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT2.6 HEALTH AND WELL-BEINGThe 2022 report identified: an increased focus on gender-based violence(67% was 63%) and no change to the focus on eating disorders (22%).
Competitions are a place for education, where women can cometogether and receive information and support.
While the safety of girls and women is a pressing issue for many, there
has been little change since 2018.
Gender-based violence reduction interventions (67% was 63%) include:
policy and guidelines, campaigns, educational programmes and victim
support mechanisms.
Eating disorders continue to be a focus, and for a number oforganisations this was an emerging priority. Limited resources andthe demands of other priorities made this more complex. For someorganisations, interventions are woven into their wider organisational
well-being policies and programmes. Tactics being employed include:
encouraging discussions about eating disorders and body image,amending nutrition education materials, and meeting with athletes’
families, doctors and nutritionists.

Recommendation 12

Use sport as a safe place to provide information and resources
to support girls and women.

Recommendation 13

Create more awareness of health and safety as an issue for girls
and women in sport, and demonstrate how to build policies
and processes that support safe participation in sport at alllevels including implementing child safeguarding policies andsafeguarding training.

Recommendation 14

Develop and implement policies and practices that prevent
gender-based violence and communicate these throughout allparts of the sport and physical activity system.

Recommendation 15

Raise awareness of the implications of eating disorders
on current performance and the long-term repercussions
for women athletes. Use existing research and effective
interventions to support this.

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2.7 FEMALE-FRIENDLY SPACES
Fewer organisations are focusing on facilities that meet the needs ofgirls and women.
Facility provision interventions include: changing facilities, access toappropriate equipment, and resources to develop or improve facilities.
There are proportionally fewer organisations, among those who
responded, focusing on equitable venue scheduling, female-only times
and safe transport.
There is still a lack of understanding about the specific needs ofwomen athletes.
Childcare access and provision continue to be an issue with only 20%
of respondents taking action to ensure childcare needs are met. In
the main this focused on: providing a safe play space (64%), providing
play equipment (57%) and providing resources to enable childcare infacilities (57%).
As with many aspects of women’s sport, there is still an attitude of selfresponsibility – women using extended family to care for their children.
Staffing for childcare needs to take a higher priority, ensuring children’ssafety and women’s ability to participate confidently.

Recommendation 16

Invest in facility development or improvement through agender lens to ensure the appropriate vision of safe andappropriate spaces. Provide appropriate playing environments(changing facilities, gender-specific resources, equipment)
and an environment that supports girls’ and women’s specificneeds.

Recommendation 17

Use cost-effective, alternative programming and schedulingsolutions that provide women-only or girls-only time slots.

Recommendation 18

Support childcare to enable women and men to participate,prioritising staffed childcare on site.

142022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT2.8 MEDIA
There has been no change in the proportion of responding organisations(61%) working to change the visibility of women in sport, and how womenare portrayed.
Media coverage was typically achieved through two areas:90%• Campaigns to promote improved coverage of women’s sport 67%• Improving public knowledge of women athletes and women’s sport

Media portrayal is an area that has been proactively managed, withmany respondent organisations taking control of the content by
providing positive imagery and stories of women athletes and teams to
the media. Others were more proactive about their own content.
These interventions have extended to how women have been portrayedin the media, by providing media with images and stories of womenathletes and teams (91%).

Recommendation 19

Create gender-positive, engaging content showing thestrength and skills of women and girls participating andcompeting at all levels of sport to share with media outlets.
Provide content that balances women/girls with men/boys.

Recommendation 20

Build awareness, capacity and capability of the media toincrease awareness of issues and tactics for improving media
representation of women and girls playing sport that reflects
strength and skills not stereotyped images of women.

Recommendation 21

Monitor and report media coverage and representation.

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15

3IMPACT OF
COVID-19

Three key
themes emerged:
Barriers to participation
An increase in existing
concerns [or barriers
to participation] about
issues such as violence,
discrimination and a lackof action in getting womena fair deal in sport.
Training and competition
Recovery time for athletes
in terms of training andcompetition - and fororganisations once therestrictions are passed.
Financial insecurity
Impact on all parts ofthe system.

Ninety-five percent of the organisations who responded
said they had been impacted by the pandemic. The impactsof COVID-19 on the respondents were wide-ranging, and formany these will be long-term.
In addition to the information captured as part of thisresearch, there are other projects that have specificallyresearched the impact of COVID-19 and have indicatedthat vulnerable groups have been more impacted by the
pandemic than others.
Where resourcing is an issue, the needs of women andgirls are often the first to be pushed aside, which has been
the experience for some. Sports of all kinds have been off
the agenda in many countries for long periods, impacting
athletes’ abilities to hone their skills, compete and perform attheir best. At the community level, some programmes haveshut down altogether, and others have had to shift their focus
to core delivery just to survive.
Some organisations were able to transform their delivery to
online services, improve communications and become more
technologically proficient, but those were in the minority of
respondents.
Organisations need to focus on the most vulnerable groups- that is, those most impacted by the economic and healthfallout of COVID-19, and in particular those who are victimsof violence and aggression. Some organisations will need to
refocus on their priorities, which may mean retaining current
decision-makers, facilitators, enablers and participants, andthen focusing on rebuilding their organisations.

Recommendation 22

Identify those groups most impacted by thesocial, health and economic impacts of COVID-19(vulnerable groups, those isolated, etc) whose
participation in sport is compromised, and prioritise
investment and programmes to redress this impact.

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17

4

18

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT4

BARRIERSTO EQUITY

Women’s sport and the women in sport movement globally havedeveloped in many different ways and there is increasing importanceplaced on evidence-based knowledge to inform political actions in
sport, as in other spheres of life.
This 2022 Progress Report identifies the most significant barriers toachieving equity.

Lack of women in leadership
In most societies, leadership is most often associated with masculinity,
compelling women leaders to work extra hard to gain respect andrecognition because of their feminine traits that are associatedwith weakness. In patriarchal societies, men are considered to bebetter decision-makers, and, in some parts of the world, men areuncomfortable with women in decision-making positions in sports.

Significant and fundamental changes still need
to be made particularly related to culture
and paternal forums surrounding genderequality, equal pay, opportunities to lead, andtraining and development opportunities.
WOMEN IN SPORT ORGANISATION/INTERNATIONAL

Even though women rise to executive
level positions [in Africa], decisions may
still be made by lower ranked men.
OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC/AFRICA

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19

Gendered social norms
and expectations
The gendered role and status of
women (sometimes based on culturaland religious beliefs) result in preconceived ideas, stereotyped views of
women and paternalistic attitudes.

There are many countries where
women face many legal barriers
which restrict their opportunities,
especially in sport.
SPORT FEDERATION/EUROPE

Sport and physical activity are not seen as
equal human rights for males and females
The multiplicity of roles and responsibilities that girls
and women experience often results in less ‘free time’ toparticipate in sport.

Sport is still seen predominantly as
recreational for women. Therefore, womenare still expected to prioritise and do more
“important tasks” and then participate insports in their spare time.
SPORTS FEDERATION/AMERICAS

Socio-economic and financial factors
Facility hire, childcare, clothing, safe travel influence theabilities of women and girls to participate in many aspects ofsport and physical activity.

Financial support that considers all aspects
required for women and girls to participate eg facilities’ availability and costs (times thatsuit women and girls are often pre-booked
for men’s events such as 5 a side football),childcare options either on site of theactivity or in the home, appropriate clothes,
footwear, travel to and from [the activity].
SPORT FEDERATION/ EUROPE

20

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORTLack of visibility of girls and womenInvisibility in sport has a multiplying effect – you
can’t be her if you can’t see her - and lack of media
coverage reduces revenue generation opportunities.

Coverage for female sports to raise theprofile, generate revenue and highlightthe opportunities available.
SPORT FEDERATION/ EUROPE

Outdated models of sport
Male-centric models of planning and delivery are barriers for girls
and women.

The biggest barrier to achieving equity for girls andwomen in sport and/or physical activity lies in thefact that sport and physical activity is based on an
outdated model. The structure, values and ambition
do not reflect modern society and the progress thathas been made in other areas of society.
OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC ORGANISATION/EUROPE

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21

5

FOCUSING ON
PROGRESSIn the context of the global pandemic, there has been
positive progress in many areas, a testament to the hard
work of committed leaders who are working to create
equity for girls and women in sport and physical activity.
It is clear from the survey responses that there is adetermination to succeed – people are committed to ensuring
equity for girls and women in sport and physical activity.
Many organisations continue to work in countries andcommunities where gender roles and expectations are basedon gendered societal norms, that create significant challenges.
However, there is vision, tenacity and pride in achievements
to date regarding the future for girls and women.
There is clear recognition of the challenges ahead, anda willingness to share good practice across policy andprogrammes, tool kits and training.
There is also genuine gratitude for the work of the IWG
as an organisation that advocates for change, and provides
a lightning rod for issues of equity in sport, and a hub
for insights and action. The power of collective action is
acknowledged and appreciated.
The value of tracking and reporting progress is that they
ensure there is clear evidence for and of change, and reflectglobal impact.
The ongoing review of progress is also an opportunity toreinforce the commitment that signatories of the Brighton
plus Helsinki Declaration, make to its principles.

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6

6CHANGEINSPIRESCHANGE

Global and societal change continue to create adynamic environment for girls and women in sportand physical activity.
In the 2022 report, areas of inequity for women and girls
identified as ‘requiring most urgent action’ are:• under-representation in decision-making positions• under-representation as coaches and instructors• discrimination/gender bias in elite-performance areas.

Over the past four years priorites for action have changed– some have emerged more strongly and others havebecome less important.

Emerging issues
These emerging issues could be considered as topics ofresearch in future progress reports.
• gender identity including transgender andintersectional influences• indigeneity, particularly in colonised communities,
requires further investigation• motherhood, and the distinct lack of commentary about
women as mothers taking part in sport and physicalactivity or the impact of motherhood on participationin physical activity and high-performance sport• people with disabilities continue to have less visibility
and value in the sporting system• the economic and societal impact of COVID-19 on
women in sport.

2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT23

7

BRIGHTON
PLUS
BRIGHTON
PLUS HELSINKI
2014
2014HELSINKI
DECLARATIONON
DECLARATIONONWOMEN
AND SPORTWOMEN AND SPORT
7.1 PRINCIPLES

1. Equity and equality in society and sport
a. Every effort should be made by state and government to ensure that
institutions and organisations responsible for sport and physical activity
comply with the equality provisions of the Charter of the United Nations,the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Declaration of Berlin (UNESCOMINEPS V) and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination against Women.
b. Equal opportunity to participate and be involved in sport and physicalactivity, whether for the purpose of leisure and recreation, healthpromotion or high performance, is the right of every woman, whatever
her race, colour, language, religion, creed, sexual orientation or identity,age, marital status, ability/disability, political belief or affiliation, nationalor social origin.
c. Resources, power and responsibility should be allocated fairly andwithout discrimination on the basis of sex or gender, but such allocation
should redress any inequitable balance in the benefits available towomen and men.

2. Facilities
Women’s and girls’ participation in sport and physical activity
is influenced by the extent, variety and accessibility of facilities,
especially spaces which are safe and secure. The planning, design andmanagement of these should appropriately and equitably meet theparticular needs of women and girls in the community, with special
attention given to the need for child care provision, safe transport andsafety during participation and performance.

242022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT3. School and youth sport
a. Research demonstrates that girls and boys approach sport frommarkedly different perspectives; and that quality physical education(QPE) is particularly important for girls to learn the skills, knowledge andunderstanding they require for lifelong participation. Those responsible
for sport, education, recreation and physical education of young people
should ensure that an equitable range of opportunities and learning
experience, which accommodate the values, attitudes and aspirationsof girls, is incorporated in programmes to develop physical literacy andbasic motor skills of young people.
b. In particular, the provision of QPE should be guided by the UNESCO
Guidelines on Quality Physical Education and the ICSSPE International
Position Statement on Physical Education.

4. Developing participationa. There is growing evidence of the health benefits of active
participation in sport and physical activity and strategies should
embrace the recommendations of the World Health Organization(WHO) for adult and young people’s activity levels.
b. Women’s participation in sport and physical activity is influenced
by the range of activities available. Those responsible for delivering
sporting opportunities and programmes should provide and promote
activities which meet women’s needs and aspirations during theirwhole lifespan from childhood to elderly women.

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25

5. High performance sporta. Governments and sports organisations should provide
equal opportunities for women to reach their sports
performance potential by ensuring that all activities andprogrammes relating to performance improvements takeaccount of the specific needs of female athletes, and thatthese are built into sustainable infrastructures for developing
sports performance.
b. Those supporting elite and/or professional athletes should
ensure that competition opportunities, rewards, incentives,
recognition, sponsorship, promotion, and other forms of
support are provided fairly and equitably for both womenand men.

6. Leadership in sport
Women remain under-represented in the leadership anddecision making of all sport and sport-related organisations.
Those responsible for these areas should develop policies
and programmes and design structures which increase
the number of women coaches, advisers, decision makers,
officials, administrators, and sports personnel at all levels,with special attention given to recruitment, mentoring,empowerment, reward, and retention of women leaders.

7. Education, training and development
Those responsible for the education, training, anddevelopment of female and male coaches and otherpersonnel, as well as managers and leaders in the delivering
sport and physical activity should ensure that education
processes and experiences address issues relating to gender
equity and the needs of female athletes, including a safe andsecure environment, equitably reflect women’s role in sportand physical activity and take account of women’s leadershipexperiences, values and attitudes.

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2022 PROGRESS REPORT – SUMMARY REPORT

8. Sport information and researchThose responsible for research and providing information on
sport should develop policies and programmes to increaseknowledge and understanding about women and sportand ensure that research norms and standards are basedon research on women and men. Research on women andsport be initiated and data and statistics broken down by
sex be systematically collected by governments and sportorganisations, and efforts be taken to include genderbalanced data gathering on sport and physical activity as
an assignment for institutions compiling statistics on social
developments at international and regional levels.

9. Resources
Those responsible for the allocation of resources should
ensure that support is available for sportswomen, women`s
programmes and special measures to advance thisDeclaration of Principles.

10. Domestic and international
cooperation
Government and non-government organisations shouldincorporate the promotion of issues of gender equity andthe sharing of examples of good practice in women andsport and physical activity policies and programmes in theirassociations with other organisations, within both domestic
and international arenas.
The IWG, together with relevant partners, regularly collectand share information on the adopted policies andachievements, and a progress report of the developments(based on the Brighton plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration
on Women and Sport) be presented at the IWG World
Conferences on Women and Sport.

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Robyn Cockburn
Lucy Atkinson