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THE
WINDHOEK CALL FOR ACTION Progress and Lessons Learned
This action point reminds us of the differences between women, and the need both to respect and celebrate those differences, and to take positive steps to ensure that sporting opportunities are genuinely accessible to all women. It is also intended to broaden our capacity for awareness and the tolerance. The following examples illustrate how some organisations are addressing diversity issues. Progress
Made / Success Stories Australian
Sports Commission The ASC has established the Community Programs and Social Policy Section that comprises the Indigenous Sport Unit, Disability Sport Unit Ethics & Women Sport Unit and Junior Sport Unit. The major strategy for this section is to work with national sporting organisations to achieve inclusion of people with disabilities, women, Indigenous people and young Australians. All units in the section are responsible for working with industry groups to ensure that programs for these people are relevant, appropriate and contemporary, and to develop policies aimed at ensuring social inclusion in sport and addressing related ethical issues. In addition to working with sporting organisations on an individual basis, the section has developed some sport-generic resources and programs such as:
Indigenous Women in Sport project: A collaborate project between the ASC (Indigenous Sport Unit and the Women and Sport Unit), the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission and state/regional Indigenous sport officers to increase the opportunities and participation in sport of Indigenous women and girls. The project's first activity was to conduct a three-day Indigenous Women's Sport Summit in Sydney on 16-18 May 2000. Indigenous women from around Australia attended, and topics included barriers to participation, good practice initiatives and ideas, information on harassment, how to get funding and sponsorship, media skills, how to include Indigenous people with disabilities, body image and self-esteem, and a question & answer session with a panel. An Indigenous Women and Sport Reference Group has also now been established to assist in developing and implementing further strategies, and more national or regional workshops for Indigenous women are planned for 2002. This will require working collaboratively with numerous sport, Indigenous, women's and health groups. Outcome - increased awareness of issues facing Indigenous women in sport, greater knowledge of what can be done to increase opportunities for and participation of Indigenous women and girls in sport. Lessons Learned We have found there has been a slight feminist backlash in many parts of society, including sport. We are having more success in getting sports to address some women and sport issues by 'packaging' them as ethical issues and promoting measures that have a beneficial effect on several population groups rather than just women or girls. International
Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women
(IAPESGW) The Association produced a Congress brief, which emphasised the need for visible commitment to diversity through themes, keynote presenters and workshop sessions. At the 14th IAPESGW Congress, there was simultaneous translation for the first time ever, to enable participation by both Arabic and English speakers. It had been hoped to provide French also, but there were few abstracts submitted in French, and the costs proved prohibitive for such a small number. The Association's Constitution enables the formation of an Executive Board, which reflects diversity across the regions of the world, by allowing for co-options. This has led to the inclusion of Akiko Takahashi from Japan and Doreen Solomons from South Africa to help diversify the Board, whose elected membership has, in the past, tended to be dominated by white Europe and North America. Maha Shafeik has also served as representative of the organising committee for the 14th Congress in Egypt. The two IAPESGW Vice-Presidents have a specific role to promote relationships and support women working in two particular regions of the world. VP Christine Shelton works in Latin America, using her extensive experience of the region and her fluent Spanish to promote cooperation, support and shared activity. Similarly, VP Julika Ullmann worked with women in Eastern European countries - work which is now being continued by new VP Susi-Kathi Jost, whose responsibilities also include forging links with Francophone women. The Association's activities and work, however, remain limited by the use of English as the working language. For the 14th IAPESGW Congress in Alexandria, the Association made a successful bid for IOC funding to support participants from less developed countries. These extra funds enabled participants from 12 less developed countries to attend the Congress, who otherwise would have been unable to do so. Several Association members also made funding available to support delegates from countries experiencing difficulties with currency, or whose travel expenses were particularly high. Part of the Association's forward plan has been to work proactively with Islamic women and girls. This commitment was formed as a result of representatives of Islamic countries requesting help to challenge Western myths about the effects of Islamic belief on women's opportunities for physical activity and sport. The selection of Alexandria as the location for the 14th Congress was part of this commitment, and the Association secured funding (from ICSSPE and the Commonwealth Secretariat) to produce a guidance leaflet for people working with Islamic girls and women. An international steering group has helped to guide the development of the leaflet and it is hoped to be launched during 2002. USA - Black
Women in Sport Foundation The Black Women in Sport Foundation hosted their 6th Annual National Conference, "From the Locker Room to the Board Room," from October 5-7, 2001. Attracting more than 300 women, men, boys and girls who came for education, information and entertainment, the conference honoured not only past and present athletes, but also those who had gone on to successful careers as coaches, sport administrators, businesswomen and communication professionals. The conference discussed issues facing women in sports as well as strategies for career advancement, and attendees received information concerning Black Women's Health Issues, Entrepreneurship and Coaching Strategies. For more information, please go to www.blackwomeninsport.org. Singapore
Sports Council The SFA Division has in turn devised programs such as:
WomenSport
International (WSI) WSI created a Task Force on Active Lifestyle
and Older Women. Chaired by Yvonne Harahousou of Greece, the Task
Force will build on the progress of the 2001 World Leisure Conference,
"Social development, leisure and the older person," for
which Harahousou was the program chair. For more information, contact
harakabi@otenet.gr.
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