Download a copy of the 2009 WSI information brochure - Click here. (.pdf, 485 Kb)
Aussi disponible en français, cliquez ici (.pdf, 298 Kb)
Formulario en Espanol (.pdf, 299 Kb)

2009 JSSGS 8th Congress
The Eighth Congress will be held 4 and 5 in July 2009 at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, Tokyo.
The first theme of this congress is Sport and Gender in East Asia -the Issues and the Perspectives-. The program includes: 1) Lecture: "Policy for Women and its Issues in East Asia in recent years." 2) Reports: "The Present Situation concerning Gender Mainstreaming in Sports in East Asia" -The Present Situation in China and South Korea-.
The second theme is Physical Education and Sport and Gender in the University Education. The program includes Symposium and Group Discussion. Whole program includes presentations of papers on sport and gender studies. Website: www.jssgs.org

WSI NEW MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
JOIN – and become a member of one of the only RESEARCH-based Advocacy groups for Women – Sport and Physical Activity. We now offer a four year and a life-time membership option at a reduced rate. Credit card payment options are also now available. Click here – to download a copy of the latest brochure and membership application/renewal form.

WSI at the United Nations
WomenSport International, in collaboration with the UN Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW) and the international Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) hosted a parallel session during the 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Monday 2 March 2009 at the UN headquarters in New York. The purpose of the session was to report on the implementation of the recommendations of the UNDAW report "Women, Gender Equality and Sport", which was launched last year at CSW.

The session titled - Empowering women through physical activity and sport - featured a diverse group of expert speakers from all regions of the world including the following WSI Executive and Advisory Board members:

• Prof. Dr. Kari Fasting (Norway)
• Dr. Carole Oglesby (USA)
• Ms. Laura Gajardo (Chile)

The session was moderated by Johanna Adriaanse (Australia). For a summary of the presentations, click here.

Commission on the Status of Women Panel
Empowering women through physical activity and sport

The myth that never dies……
In 2006 Gian-Franco Kasper, head of the International Ski Federation, was ridiculed for saying , "Ski jumping is just too dangerous for women. Don't forget, [the landing] it's like jumping down from, let's say, about two meters to the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view."
A few years earlier, he told reporters that a woman's uterus might burst during landing.
Women continue to jump in spite of this dire warning with no injuries to their reproductive organs.

In 2000, the Seattle Times (USA) reported that women were encountering red flags from coaches who offered resistance and suspicious arguments for why females shouldn’t pole vault, “They weren’t strong enough. Their arms weren’t built to withstand the necessary force. Hard landings in the pit could damage their reproductive systems.” These dire predictions have not come true. In the Beijing Olympics, Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva set a new World record of 16’ 6 2/3”. No injuries to a woman’s reproductive system have been reported.

FACT: There is no medical or scientific evidence that participation in any Olympic sport causes damage to a woman’s reproductive organs. This discredited myth is being used to intimidate women and discourage them from participating in the sport of their choice.

Laura Gajardo, new Advisory Board member of WSI, recently conducted a study on women and sport in Chile
A research project was set up by Chiledeportes in 2006 and provides an overview of the female participation in sport. Strategies and actions are outlined based on a three pillar concept: Health - Quality of Life - Physical Activity/Sport. Chiledeportes has the objective to promote gender equality in sport and physical education.

Findings include that in Chile 62% of females are considered overweight and sport and physical education are seen to have the potential to solve this current crisis. Long working hours, lack of motivation and the scarcity of sports programs are main constraints for Chilean women to get involved in sports.

The following report summarises proposals to improve the current situation including the development of a public strategy to include women in sport, find ways of funding for women's sports programs and the creation of a female sport infrastructure.

The report provided by Laura Gajardo is available in Spanish language, please click here to download.

Minutes of the WSI Executive/Advisory Board Meeting held May 7-8, 2008 in Trikala, Greece are available, click here. (.doc, 59 KB)

WSI at ISCEMIS 2008, Guangzhou, China
WSI recently held a symposium at the International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport in Guangzhou, China from 1-4 August, 2008. WSI President Professor Kari Fasting chaired the WSI Symposium entitled: Lifelong physical activity for women – benefits and barriers. More...

Impact of WSI fund assist in Cambodia goes beyond sport.
The disability policy being prepared by ANZ Royal Bank (see below) is a direct result of 5 CNVLD women in WSI funded wheelchairs in Battambang who, one day, were given the chance to open a bank account and could not access the bank.
The resulting consequences and superb action being taken by ANZ Royal including a national disability policy for all their braches shows how effective sport can be as a catalyst for civil society development.”

Policy
The Management of ANZ Royal adopts “ANZ Royal Disability Physical Accessibility Policy (hereafter referred to Accessibility Policy) for the design, construction, expansion, renovation and alterations of the bank’s buildings so that our facilities are conveniently accessible by persons with disabilities. This instrument will ensure that all building designs of ANZ Royal Bank are considered in terms of their accessibility to person with disabilities.

The Oceania Challenge
The Oceania Continental Federation together with all the Oceania National Table Tennis Federations present at the Oceania Women’s Table Tennis Forum, held in Tahiti on 6th July 2008, pledge to abide by the Brighton Declaration and promise:

• To increase women’s participation in OTTF decision-making positions, through the increased participation of women in leadership positions in national associations (30% by 2012)
• To encourage and help National and Regional Associations to follow ITTF and IOC recommendations in women and sport issues (Continental Women’s Forums, IWG and IOC conferences, AiSTS seminar)
• To assist the ITTF to achieve it’s goal of 25% women in all structures of the ITTF by 2012
• To ensure a best practice framework for the OTTF and its member federations in order to enable the sport to maximise potential at all levels for women from grass root to international performance
• To ensure a safe and supportive environment for women in all Oceania member associations
• To report on the progress made at the ITTF Women’s Forum every 4 years

Claude Bergeret, Sandra Levy-Agami, Alice Bremond, Patrick Gillmann

Election Results:
June 16, 2008 – The 2008 election for WSI officers and Advisory Board members was uncontested across all positions. A formal election, as originally outlined on the website was therefore not conducted.
The following women have been elected by acclamation to fill the open positions of Officers and Advisory Board.
President: Kari Fasting, - Norway
Vice President: Barbara Drinkwater - USA
Secretary: Carol Rodgers - Canada
Treasurer: no nominations received. Duties will be assumed by the VP and supported by the Secretary
Member at Large: Johanna Anja Vescio - Australia

Advisory Board:
Stilani Chroni - Greece; Mary Jane DeSouza - USA; Laura Gajardo - Chile; Takako Iida - Japan; Janet Kabeberi-Macharia - Kenya; Sock Miang Teo-Koh - Singapore; Gertrud Pfister - Denmark; Lydia la Rivière-Zijdel - Netherlands; Chris Shelton - USA; Anita White - UK

Japan Society of Sport and Gender Studies
We concluded the Sixth Conference held on 7 and 8 in July, 2007 in Hosei University, Tokyo successfully. The theme of this conference was "Gender and Understanding of Sex Difference in the Research of Physical Education and Sport Science". For a brief report, click here.
The Seventh Conference will be held July 5-6, 2008 at the Dawn Center, Osaka Prefectural Women's Center in Osaka. The theme of this conference is "Media, Sport and Gender."

2007 Meeting Minutes
The Executive Committee/ Advisory Board meeting minutes of March 2007 (.doc, 67 KB) are available. Download.

International Forum on Youth Sport with a Gender Perspective
University of Thessaly, Dept. of PE & Sports Science, Trikala, Greece
The University of Thessaly and the Dept. of PE & Sports Science organized the 1st International Forum on “Youth Sport with a Gender Perspective” in Trikala (central Greece) on Saturday May 10, 2008. Download a poster of the event. (.pdf, 385KB)

New WSI member designs sportswear for active Muslim women
Aheda Zanetti, Managing Director of Ahiida, recently joined WSI as a member.
Her company, Ahiida, is an Australian owned company that designs and produces quality swimwear and sportswear, for example the ‘burkini”. Ahiida garments are designed with the respect of Islamic values and aimed to enhance the lifestyle of the active Muslim female.
Sports clothing requirements can be a barrier for Muslim girls and women who want to play sports due to cultural and religious beliefs. Ahiida is addressing this issue by providing specialised sportswear to suit the Muslim female allowing Muslim women to compete in sports with confidence.
For more information on Ahiida’s products please check out their website www.ahiida.com.

NOTICE TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF WSI
It is time for the 2008 WSI elections and the procedures are in place for the nomination process:
OFFICES OPEN FOR NOMINATION
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Member-at-large, Executive Committee

Advisory Board (4 positions)

Nominations for these positions are welcome. For details, click here.

United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) Publication
For the past several years, Dr. Carole Oglesby (former President of WSI) and a group of dedicated researchers have been working within the framework of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) on a major publication on Women and Sport and sports effectiveness in promoting equality and social development. (See the interim reports in the WSI Initiatives section) The publication “Women, gender equality and sport” was launched at Feb 28, Commission on the Status of Women Meeting at the UN in New York City. This monograph is the latest in the WOMENWATCH 2000 and Beyond series.

Numerous WSI members, along with other experts from the International Working Group, the United Nations, and other agencies have contributed to the success of this project.

WSI extends its thanks and congratulations to WSI executive members Carole Oglesby, Johanna Adriaanse, and President Kari Fasting for their dedication in bringing this publication to completion. Former Executive Board member Elizabeth Darlison was also very influential in the early years of the Strategic Bridges project. It has been a WSI initiative for several years and we are pleased to see its publication. Download the Women 2000 Report (.pdf, 610 KB)

Johanna Adriaanse, Carolyn Hannan, and Carole Oglesby at the
Commission on the Status of Women Meeting, February 28, 2008

Check out the NEW IWG!
Leading up to the 5th World Conference on Women and Sport in 2010 in Sydney the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) has repositioned itself. More...

Fellowship Opportunities
The Center invites applications for its RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS for 2008-2009 from scholars and teachers at all levels of the educational system, as well as from artists, community organizers and political activists, both local and international. More...

Uganda Youth Ministries
October 20, 2007 - Uganda Youth Ministries has created an educational sport program focused on an Anti-HIV+ message and Netball and Soccer for girls. Such programs have utilized supportive materials and content from WSI members.

WSI Battambang Ladies Racing Team
September 30, 2007 - The ANZ Royal -CNVLD Wheelie Grand Prix is proud to announce the first ever WSI Battambang Ladies Racing Team. It was established through cooperation with ICRC Battambang, the DOSB-CNVLD Advisor and WSI. More...

Reunión de Mujeres de ATTC en los Juegos Para Panamericanos de Río 2007
El día 15 de agosto, durante el transcurso de los Juegos Para Panamericanos de Río 2007, tuvo lugar la primer Reunión de Mujeres organizada por ATTC (Comité de Tenis de Mesa para discapacitados de América)....

ATTC Women’s Meeting at Parapan American Games Rio 2007
On August 15th, the first Women’s Meeting organized by the ATTC (Americas Table Tennis Committee for the disabled) was held, during the Parapan American Games Rio 2007. More...

Japan Society of Sport and Gender Studies
Report of Fifth Anniversary Conference available, Sixth Conference scheduled for July 2007. More...

Lausanne IF Women's Network
June 8, 2007 - The Lausanne IF Women's Network met on 8 June 2007 at the Headquarters of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Following the conference, in the spirit of the Kumamoto Commitment to Collaboration, they formed the network for women in International Federations in Lausanne. WSI Executive Committee member Johanna Adriaanse (Vescio) joined them at the meeting in which several exciting plans were developed. To download the report, click here. (.pdf)

WSI Founding Members
WomenSport International is pleased to recognize and acknowledge the work of the founding members of WSI: Celia Brackenridge, Libby Darlison, Barbara Drinkwater, Kari Fasting and Marion Lay. More...

Estimados amigos y colegas de habla Hispana,
La mision de WomenSportInternational es desarrollar deportes para mujeres a nivel mundial a travez de la aplicacion de investigacion, educacion y auspicio. Publicamos este material en nuestra pagina de internet tan pronto nos es posible. En el futuro publicaremos materiales en Espanol cuando nos sea posible. Esperamos que esto ayude a nustros miembros y visitantes de habla Hispana.
Gracias por su apoyo, Carole Oglesby Link to Spanish Resources

Dear Spanish speaking friends and colleagues,
June 25, 2003 - The WomenSportInternational mission is to develop sport for women around the globe through the application of research, education and advocacy. We publish such material on our website as often as we can. In the future, we will publish materials in Spanish when we are able. We hope this will be a helpful step to our Spanish-speaking members and visitors.
Thanks for all you do, Carole Oglesby. Link to Spanish Resources

IOC Adopts Concensus Statement on “SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ABUSE IN SPORT”
February 2007 - The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has adopted a Consensus Statement on “Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport” . This unique document defines the problems, identifies the risk factors and provides guidelines for prevention and resolution. More...

Congratulations
A huge congratulations to the Turin Organising Committee of the Olympic Games for selecting eight WOMEN to bring the Olympic flag into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. It was interesting to note that these women representing all continents, have made outstanding contributions not only in the sporting domain but also to culture and peace.

IOC Medical Commission focus on the health of athletes
(November 2005) Protecting the health of the athlete is the primary goal of the International Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission (IOC MC). Recently two Consensus Conferences of interest to WSI members were convened at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. More...

Statement on Transgendered Athlete participation
The Executive Committee of WomenSport International has been asked, through its member on the IOC Medical Commission Medical and Scientific Working Group, to support the Medical Commission proposed policy on Transgendered Athlete participation. More...

News from the United Nations:

UN-DAW manuscript
We have reached an agreement in regard to a planned UN-DAW publication provisionally titled Women 2000: Physical activity, sport, exercise and the achievement of girl’s and women’s development goals. The manuscript is to be prepared with the facilitation of Dr. Carole Oglesby, utilizing an international team of experts. The manuscript will marshall, summarize and interprete relevant data from the world over demonstrating and clarifying the roles of physical recreation, sport, exercise in meeting developmental goals prominent in UN treaty language (Beijing Platform for Action, Beijing+5 Outcome Document and CEDAW) and on-going initiatives and efforts. More... May 31, 2003

For additional materials about the work of WSI and the United Nations, please see our Current Initiatives section.