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

CNVLD Women's Basketball Team features in DSR News
Cyclepower Cambodia – a joint initiative between Australian NGO Disability Sport & Recreation (DSR) and Cambodian charity partner Stand Up Cambodia (CNVLD) will see a group of 20 cyclists ride across Cambodia in June 2012 to raise awareness of and funds for disability sport and recreation. Read the whole story at: http://www.dsr.org.au/news1.aspx?ArticleID=414

2012 JSSGS 11th Congress
The 11th Congress will be held on 7th ,8th of July 2012 at the Gakushuin Women's College, Tokyo. The main theme of this congress is Gender and Sport in Development.
The program includes:
1) Lecture : Development and Health (tentative) by Hiroko Hara (Josai International University) and
2) Symposium: Gender and Sport in Development by Taku Yamaguchi (NPO Hearts of Gold), Tsutomu Kobayashi (Chuo University), and Keiko Arai (Gakushuin University).
Whole program includes presentations of papers on sport and gender studies. Website: www.jssgs.org

CAAWS Releases New Canadian Sport for Life Resource on International Women’s Day
OTTAWA, March 2012 – In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announces the publication of Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors, a new resource designed to increase opportunities for women and girls as both participants and leaders in the Canadian sport and physical activity system. The publication is a supplement to the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) foundation document, and complements other Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) resources. A valuable resource for everyone involved in sport and physical activity, it will support and guide those working with women and girls so they engage in, and maintain, healthy and active lifestyles. More...

Pink and fashion and Soccer - a special mix
On 10th December 2011, Vijana Amani Pamoja, hosted the 1st Miss Mrembo, meaning (beauty) girls’ soccer tournament - one with a different approach.
An exciting day of soccer, hairdressing, awareness of gender based violence (GBV) and fashion show. The tournament was organized under the theme of “Kujiamini” a Swahili word meaning self confidence.
A total of 150 girls drawn from 12 teams consisting of girls ages 10-18 years from all the walks of Eastlands part of Nairobi, to participate in this unique 7-a-side street football tournament whose aim was:

• Explore the importance of self esteem among teenage girls
• Encourage women to participate in sports.
• Emphasize on good grooming among girls /girls soccer players.
• Identify Miss Mrembo player of the year 2011
• Enable young women to make informed choices in their lives
• Create awareness on Sexual Assault among young girls

Read the full report. (.pdf)

CNVLD Cambodian Women of Courage: a CNVLD series
The CNVLD is pleased to commence a new series: “CNVLD Cambodian Women of Courage” which will profile all the members of the recently established CNVLD Cambodian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Program. More on Ms Sieng Sorchan and Ms Khuon Sochunthea...

2011 - Draft Minutes of the WSI Advisory Board Meeting held September 14-15, 2011 in Chichester, England. Click here (.pdf, 291 KB)

Call for Abstracts for the 11th International Symposium for Olympic Research, to be hosted at the Ivey-Spencer Leadership Centre at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, on October 19 & 20, 2012.
Abstract Deadline, January 6, 2012
Scholars, researchers, students, and professionals interested in the socio-cultural study of the modern Olympic or Paralympic Games are invited to submit abstracts for conference presentation. Papers in the area of history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science, and sport management, as well as other disciplines that contribute to our cultural understanding of the Games are particularly encouraged. The 11th Symposium includes a Graduate Student Essay Competition.
Details for submission of abstracts can be downloaded here. (.pdf)

Women in Coaching blog
http://www.womenincoaching.org/.
This blog is geared towards women in the coaching profession and is an effort to increase the number of women in coaching and help define strategies to retain women in coaching positions once they are in place.
Sign up for the RSS Feeds:
http://stream.goodwin.drexel.edu/womenincoaching/feed/

Girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Nov 2011 - Job opportunities in the ICT sector continue to grow, and many countries and regions are predicting a shortage of qualified staff with math, science, engineering and computing skills to meet the growing demand. At the same time, many companies are looking to increase the numbers of women in the sector. This means that highly qualified women in technical fields have significant opportunities available to them. Unfortunately teenage girls and young women often never even consider a career in ICTs....
As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said, “Equality for women and girls is not only a basic human right it is a social and economic imperative. Where women are educated and empowered, economies are more productive and strong. Where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful and stable." More... at http://world2011.itu.int/daily4#7

Gendered Innovations in Science, Health & Medicine, and Engineering Project launched
Nov 2011 - Gendered innovations employ sex and gender analysis as a resource to create new knowledge and technology. The Gendered Innovations project:

1. Develops practical methods of sex and gender analysis for science, health & medicine, and engineering.
2. Provides case studies as concrete illustrations of how sex and gender analysis leads to innovation.

Three years in the making, the project was funded by Stanford University and the European Commission. It draws upon experts from across both the EU and the US. http://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/

The Transgender Athlete
Members of WSI and the American College of Sports Medicine met in June 2011 to collaborate on a statement on The Transgender Athlete. Several related issues were discussed and a set of recommendations were produced. More ... (.pdf) (Sept 2011)

Election Results:
August 26, 2011 – The 2011 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.
More...

The Officers of WSI are:
President: Carol Rodgers - Canada
Vice President: Carole Oglesby - USA
Secretary: Stilani Chroni - Greece
Treasurer: Chris Shelton - USA
Past President: Kari Fasting - Norway

In Praise of Female Athletes Who Were Told No
For the 14 female ski jumpers petitioning to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - August 2011 - This was submitted as an example of support for the women's ski jumpers had prior to last year's 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A poem written by the Vancouver Poet Laureate Brad Cran.
It starts:
" Despite the glory of color it's easy to be the butterfly; It's hard to be the dog or to remain like the river stone. For Christ sake little lady, sit down you've been told.
Because he thought that a woman short of breath was an affront to good manners, Baron Pierre de Courbertin founded the modern Olympics with only the strength of men in mind. The heft and depth of sport surely could not be good for the reproductive organs of a lady..."
More...

Just when you think you have heard everything......
In 2008 Gian-Franco Kasper, head of the International Ski Federation said, "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.

The following statement was approved by the IOC Medical Commission, April 2011:
No female athlete should be denied the opportunity to participate in any Olympic sport on the basis that she might sustain an injury to her reproductive organs. A survey of injury data has failed to find any evidence of an increased risk for acute or chronic damage to the female reproductive organs occurring as a direct result from participation in sport.

Badminton World Federation
Update -- June 2011 - Badminton's world governing body has decided to scrap a controversial rule that would have forced female players to wear skirts in competition.
According to WSF, "It is still our intention to focus on a better presentation of the game, but we will like to broaden the scope to include both men and women, and the feedback will also include views from various stakeholders such as the clothing manufacturers."

May 4, 2011 - Just when you think there are no surprises left, the Badminton World Federation comes to the rescue! The year is 2011 and the BWF apparently believes it is acceptable to mandate that women playing in BWF international tournaments wear skirts "...to ensure attractive presentation of badminton." Not for greater mobility, not for safety, but to appeal to a wider audience and sponsors.
What a blatant display of lack of appreciation for women as athletes. This is less surprising when you realize that none of the ten member BWF Executive Board are women. The BWF is in for a rude awakening if they think that women will meekly accept being used as sex objects to "boost the sport's profile among viewers". The players may not be in a position to complain, but WSI and other women's organizations certainly should. The sport belongs to the athletes, not the sponsors, not the public, not all-male governing bodies. Women who want to wear skirts should wear skirts. Women who want to wear shorts should wear shorts. All are athletes and should be appreciated for their skill, not their wardrobe.
The WSI Board is currently exploring strategic action options. If you want to be included in action steps to let the Badminton World Federation know that women are expecting to be taken seriously as athletes and autonomous individuals, please contact us to join the consensus being developed on this matter."

Women’s ski jumping event added to 2014 Sochi Games
April 6, 2011 - For the first time in Olympic Winter Games history, women will participate in ski jumping, beginning in Sochi, Russia in 2014. “We are elated and relieved,” said Deedee Corradini, Women’s Ski Jumping USA president. “Sochi, Russia can proudly proclaim that it will be hosting the first gender-equal Winter Games in Olympic history.” Ski jumping (and Nordic Combined) were the only disciplines in the Winter Games that did not allow women to participate. More...

Canada's Women and Leadership NETWORK
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) is launching the Women and Leadership NETWORK on March 8, 2011— International Women’s Day. The Network is for women leaders in sport and physical activity across Canada and the world – administrators, volunteers, coaches, officials…all women are invited to join. The Network has been designed as the go-to place where members can connect, build their skills, share ideas, discuss issues, find solutions and take action. More...

Le Réseau Femmes et Leadership de l’ACAFS (Canada)
Le Réseau Femmes et Leadership a été créé par l’Association canadienne pour l’avancement des femmes, du sport et de l’activité physique (ACAFS) dans le but de soutenir l’implication des femmes leaders en sport et en activité physique de partout au pays. Le Réseau a été conçu comme un endroit incontournable où les membres peuvent être en contact, développer leurs compétences, partager des idées, discuter de leurs préoccupations, trouver des solutions et passer à l’action. ...Plus

Arne Ljungqvist, Advocate for Women's Rights
WomenSport International (WSI) would like to acknowledge the many contributions that Arne Ljungqvist, MD and Chair of the IOC Medical Commission has made to women's sport. Members of WSI know firsthand that Arne has been a strong advocate for women's right to participate fully in international competition and to have a voice in IOC decisions pertaining to that participation. He led the way toward abolishing the gender identification procedures that women found offensive and humiliating. When he became Chair of the IOC Medical Commission he made sure the IOC addressed the Female Athlete Triad issue. It was also Arne who convened the consensus meeting that set the conditions under which a man transitioning to a woman would be eligible to compete as a female though genetically the individual was still male.
He has made every effort to ensure that women have a voice in matters pertaining to their participation. In the most recent example, five women physicians or scientists plus two female athletes were part of an IOC Committee that Arne appointed and Chaired to discuss issues related to Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD).
Members of WSI and other women's sports organizations can be assured that Arne is dedicated to seeing that women receive equal treatment within the IOC committees he Chairs.

WSI at ACSM Conference, June 2010, Balitmore, USA
Consensus Statement from WSI Conference Addressing the Issue of Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (DSD)
The conference was held in June in conjunction with the Annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. A committee appointed by Arne Ljungqvist, MD, Chair of the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission has focused on what action current science would recommend if an athlete were diagnosed with a disorder of sexual differentiation (DSD). Their concern was with the elite athlete and whether some disorders might provide a woman with an unfair advantage in competition. The definition of "unfair" remains to be determined. While gender tests for female athletes are no longer a requirement for participation in women's events, testing for performance enhancing drugs and methods remains part of the effort to promote fair play in Olympic competition. Unfortunately, the biochemical effect of some medical conditions may result in testosterone levels well beyond the normal range for women. If so, these women run the risk of being unfairly identified as potential users of a performance enhancing drug. Early identification of these conditions would benefit the athletes by allowing corrective action of the medical problem at a younger age, sparing them the trauma of being investigated for illegal use of drugs and being denied participation in Olympic events.

WomenSport International in cooperation with the American College of Sports Medicine recently convened a Consensus Conference to discuss this issue. The results of our deliberations are available here.

Beyond Sport
June 2010 - Carole Oglesby, WSI Past President, has been invited to join the Advisory Board of Beyond Sport, a global organization that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change across the world. Beyond Sport will be holding its annual Summit September 29-30 in Chicago. One of the key themes of this years summit will be sport's role in women's and girls' education. Visit their web site, www.beyondsport.org to learn more about this organization and possible funding opportunities for your programs.

Gertrud Pfister received the Inaugural European Women and Sports Award (EWS-Award) for research, leadership and exceptional achievements for women in sport.
The award ceremony occurred at the 8th European Women and Sport Conference which were held October 9th and 10th 2009 in Limassol / Cyprus.

IOC moves to address gender imbalance in Track Cycling for 2012 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved changes to the track cycling program for the 2012 Olympics to resolve the gender imbalance of the current program. More...

IOC plans meeting on gender
In response to the controversy surrounding the issue of Caster Semenya's gender identity, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is convening a conference this coming January to institute guidelines for dealing with the biological variations of gender identity. The results of that conference and recommendations for handling individual cases will be available on this site as soon as they are made public. See more IOC news...

Commentary:
Muditambi Ravele, acting president of the South-African Women and Sports Federation
September 2009 - Caster Semenya should be basking in the glory of her 800 meters world gold medal in Berlin. Instead, 2009 looks set to be an annus horribilis year for the talented South African athlete.

After a flood of media reports world wide questioning her sexuality, the 800 and 1500 meter African Junior Championship title holder’s family has had to grapple with the freshest allegations - that an International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) medical probe has found the runner to be technically hermaphrodite! More...

Followup: October 2009
Johanna Adriaanse, Chair, International Working Group (IWG)
“Brutal trial by media and insensitive management by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is my view of how S-African athlete Caster Semenya has been treated in recent weeks.More... | Protecting the athlete

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 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

News from the United Nations:

WSI at the UN Committee for the status of women 55 session in New York
WSI's Kari Fasting and Carole Oglesby will be panel speakers at a UN Committee session on February 22 from 10:00 -11:30am, 10th floor CCUN, New York. The session is open, with free admission, to listen to the panel. For more information, download the poster. (PDF, 183KB)

Millennia2015 Action Plan for Women's Empowerment
WomenSport International has recently become aware of an opportunity to participate electronically, and in person, in a global exchange focused on women’s development, empowerment and health. The Division for Gender Equity, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Destree Institute have formed an on-line process of gathering viewpoints from women globally as a method of foresight utilization for the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Three conference-style events form consensus-building landmarks for the MDG accomplishment; Liege 2008, Paris late 2011, New York 2015. Interspersed are several electronic fora serving to gather grassroots and national viewpoints and strategic suggestions. For further information, go to the link for this process www.millennia2015.org
Information for registration for the women’s eHealth discussion and other initiatives are found on the webpage. There is no cost to any of the electronic participation.

WSI at the UN in NY
March 2010 - WomenSport International together with the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) and the Womens Sports Foundation (USA), presented a workshop at a parallel event during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on 1 March 2010 in New York. The title of the workshop was “CEDAW as a tool to promote gender equality in physical activity and sport”. More...

WSI at the United Nations
March 2009 - 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. More...

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.