After Africa in 2006, the Americas in 2007 and Asia in 2008, Oceania hosted the Regional Seminar on Women and Sport. It is in Guam that the IOC, under the auspices of the Women and Sport Commission Chairperson, also IOC member, Anita L. DeFrantz, and in collaboration with the NOC of Guam, organised this seminar for the NOCs of Oceania.
To access positions of responsibility
As for the previous seminars in the second generation, the Guam Seminar aimed to strengthen the participants’ knowledge and competences in management so that they can access positions of responsibility within decision-making and administrative organs of the NOCs and other national sports organisations. The 17 NOCs affiliated to the ONOC (Oceania National Olympic Committees) were represented by 29 delegates, among whom, for the first time, were representatives from the younger generation.
Strong action plan adopted
A Forum allowed delegates to be informed about the changes within the continental association and also provided an occasion for the newly elected ONOC Women and Sport commission to present its 2008-2012 Action Plan, which was unanimously adopted by the participants. Through this Action Plan, the participants committed themselves to a future strategy that focuses on actions in four specific areas:
- effective and efficient management and administration
- equal opportunities for participation in all aspects of regional games
- women in leadership positions throughout the region
- contributing to advocacy and promotion for inclusion.
Call to action
While delegates were also given a chance to present activities related to women’s promotion within their respective NOCs, Anita L. DeFrantz, presented the IOC Women and Sport Commission’s activities and called on them to further use Olympic Solidarity programmes and to stand for elections. To see that more women are elected to decision-making positions is one of the immediate challenges for the IOC’s Commission. And that should be one of the discussions at the 2009 Olympic Congress next October in Copenhagen (Denmark).
Learn more about the promotion of women in sport