Let’s step up for change and develop the art of opening doors for women in sport!
The French Federation for Company Sport and the SWinG partners are pleased to announce they are joining forces with the Sport for Generation Equality Initiative led by UN Women as of 20 July 2020.
The initiative is not another rally of good-will ambassadors. It actually builds on the power of sport organisation’s commitment to address some key issues. It is an invitation to bring in new partners and generations to embrace and revitalise the historic Beijing Platform for Action. The ambition is clear: to multiply the impact of the sport sector to remove the systematic barriers that hold women and girls back and still today remains the most ambitious international agenda for achieving gender equality in all spheres of society.
“Building Alliance is really what Sport for Generation Equality is about. There is still a lot to do to achieve the aim of the Beijing Platform. And we have started to realize we cannot achieve this job alone. With the Sport for Generation Equality Initiative we are working on an attempt to form a large coalition of actors from across the sport ecosystem. It is a guide for making commitment and taking action. We are grateful to count the SWinG project and its partnership as allies in this ambition.”
Jennifer Cooper, Leader of the Sports for Generation Equality Initiative at UN Women
This Sport for Generation Equality Initiative was launched in early March 2020. And is slowly gaining attention despite all the other challenges which arouse during the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative is meant to accelerate progress on a set of common principles and aligned objectives. It will harness the power of sport in making gender equality a reality within and through sport. Those common principles include to:
- Promote women’s leadership and gender equality in governance models
- Prevent and respond to gender-based violence
- Undertake to close the gap in investment in women’s sport and promote equal economic opportunities for women and girls
- Promote women’s equal participation and bias free representation in media
- Provide equal opportunities for girls in sports, physical activity and physical education
Why is SWinG joining the initiative?
It was of course natural for the SWinG project to join in. Indeed, the aim of the unique partnership gearing the project is to act as a CATALYST FOR CHANGE in gender mainstreaming . While giving a tremendous boost to the access of women to change-making positions in sport governing bodies. Yet, specifics needed to be checked and agreed.
It’s not every day that an EU funded sport collaborative partnership is joining an UN led initiative!
The SWinG partnership is driven by the idea that ALL OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE as it is time to step up for change and develop the art of opening doors for women in sport!
That’s the reason why we collaboratively joined this powerful multi-stakeholder coalition. To make gender equality a lived reality in and through sport.
“In joining the Sport for Generation Equality, we, the SWinG partnership, are aiming at contributing to wider agenda. We are willing to be held accountable by other stakeholders in our own commitment and will report them annually. We are hoping as well to get more exposure. Anda we want to create more opportunities for women to get access to leadership and decision making in sport, hence leading to more diverse offer. We believe we need to work together to move the needle forward.”
Carole Ponchon, SWinG project leader
What to expect from SWinG?
In taking this step and sharing our Pledge, the SWinG partnership is aiming at spreading the following messages:
- ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ARE KEY ELEMENT OF GOVERNANCE: the sector need to do better and we can learn from each other.
- EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY: there is no small or big organisation in the battle for gender equality, every step ahead is a win.
- THE POWER OF CHANGE IS IN OUR HANDS: women and men together can become allies.
With SWinG we are developing and testing a model to help the sector address the lack of diversity in its decision making bodies. We are therefore honored to be recognized and accepted along the prestigious stakeholders behind the Sport for Generation Equality Initiative.
