INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL GOVENMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

The Caribbean Heads of Government and the Caribbean Ministers of Sport
The Caribbean Heads of Government endorsed the Brighton Declaration, and the issue of women and sport engaged the attention of Ministers in May 2001. Decisions were made with regard to research, policy formulation and advocacy. The Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) Human Resource Development in the Sport Committee will examine the issues with a view to proposing a regional strategy to build the capacity of Member States to promote women in sport programs.

Web site: www.caricom.org

Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM)
In its report to the 1998 meeting of Commonwealth Health Ministers at Barbados, the CHOGM Committee on Co-operation through Sport (CCCS) stated the case for the contribution of physical activity to health. The spirit of that case can be summed up by the World Health Organisation viewpoint that "Physical activity offers 'the best buy in public health.' It provides a low cost, easily accessible approach to better health, disease prevention and health gain for all people." (5. WHO 1997 Active Living for Better Health: Physical Activity and Sport for Health, WHO, HPR December 1997.) Some fifteen recommendations were approved by the Ministers, including those calling on governments:

  • To encourage the development of human resources in physical activity, sport and health
  • To promote moderate physical activity as an integral part of public health, social policies and programs
  • To recognise and address issues relating to gender, physical activity and health - giving prominence to access and equity
  • To develop national frameworks, stategies and programs to promote physical activity for health, including the provision of basic facilities, workplace and setting-based activity, and the encouragement of traditional games.

Web site: www.thecommonwealth.org

CONFEJES - The Conference of Youth and Sport Ministers of the States sharing the use of the French language

The International Committee of the Games of La Francophonie (CIJF) reports to the Conference of Youth and Sport Ministers of the States sharing the use of the French language (CONFEJES), and its mandate is to provide general supervision of the organisation of the Games entrusted to the host country.

Established in 1969, CONFEJES's main objective is to strengthen the bonds of solidarity and cooperation among the youth of Francophone countries by means of an exchange policy. Among other objectives, CONFEJES' activities are designed to promote youth and the integration of women and people with disabilities into sport. CONFEJES has also adopted the Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport and the Windhoek Call for Action.

Through the strategies developed by Canadian Heritage, Canada has for a number of years stressed the importance of a greater and fairer role for women within CONFEJES's programming. In the past two years, Canada's sustained efforts have been reflected in the CONFEJES programming: first in the appointment of a female representative from a CONFEJES country, Ms Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, to the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG), and then again in the creation of a working committee within CONFEJES.

Projects undertaken as part of CONFEJES programming are:

  1. First meeting of the CONFEJES working committee responsible for promoting sport and youth activities among women, held in Madagascar in October 2000
  2. Development program for female coaches in connection with the Games of La Francophonie 2001, proposed by Canada and adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the most recent Francophone Summit, in Moncton in September 1999 (for details see Windhoek Call for Action Point 4 in Chapter 2 of this report)
  3. Second meeting of the CONFEJES working committee responsible for promoting sport and youth activities among women (GTCF), held in Saly Portudal, Senegal in November 2001.

The following projects were suggested at the meeting in November 2001:

  • Set up regional and national networks for the GTCF
  • Set up a practicum in sports administration (level 1 or 2 depending on the results of the evaluation from level 1 completed in November 2001 in Cameroon)
  • Set up a practicum for female officials (level 1 coach, official, referee, etc.) in track and field, handball, basketball and volleyball
  • Provide refresher training for young female officials living near the Indian Ocean for the fourth edition of the CJSOI Games
  • Provide administrative and management training for female members of youth organisations
  • Hold a seminar on listening, counselling and guidance techniques for community education workers.

Problems to be solved:
(1) Unsafe environment - harassment, exploitation, violence, etc.
(2) Low level of education for girls.

Recommendations:
In light of the progress made since the first meeting in Madagascar, the GTCF recommends:

  1. That CONFEJES support the plans outlined during GTCF's second meeting in Saly Portudal, Senegal
  2. That CONFEJES confirm that the group needs to appoint a co?ordinator to act as liaison between the GTCF, the General Secretariat of CONFEJES and the members of the group, and to represent the GTCF on the International Working Group (IWG)
  3. That CONFEJES include the female perspective when designing the sports journalism training unit.

Web site: www.confejes.org

Council of Europe - Committee for the Development of Sport
The Council of Europe - Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) actively promotes the involvement of women in sport. The European Ministers responsible for sport have committed themselves to the Brighton Declaration by recommending that the CDDS promote the implementation of the Brighton Declaration throughout Europe, with the aim of developing a sporting environment that enables and values the full involvement of girls and women in every aspect of sport. This recommendation has guided the work of the CDDS since 1995.

Web site: www.coe.int/T/E/cultural_co-operation/sport

Supreme Council of Sport in Africa (Zone 6)
The Zone 6 countries are Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Swaziland, Angola, Namibia and Zambia. All Zone 6 member states have Women and Sport National Associations (Chapters), and the Zone coordinates all Women and Sport programs of the SADC through the Women and Sport Technical Commission -part of the SCSA Zone 6 Executive Committee. AWISA, the African Women in Sport Association, is extremely active in the Zone, with the President and Secretariat based in Namibia.

United Nations (UN)
See Point 2 of the Windhoek Call for Action in Chapter 2 of this document for information on the United Nations and its activities.

Web site: www.un.org/partners/civil_society/m-women.htm

World Heath Organization (WHO)
The WHO promotes the specific benefits of physical activity for women's health, offering information sheets on physical activity's multiple benefits for women, economic benefits and factors to consider with respect to equity and equality in women's accessibility to physical activity and sport for all.

The WHO is emphasising the benefits of physical activity in 2002 with the promotion of World Health Day. The theme for 2002 is Agita Mundo: Move for Health, and special activities are taking place worldwide to encourage men, women, youth and children to be active.

Web site: www.who.int/hpr/index.htm