INTERNATIONAL UPDATE – NOV/DEC 2020

From the President

Dear IAPESGW members, followers and friends, 

December has arrived and for many it is Christmas time!

The year 2020 has been a very difficult one for all countries and communities in the world. Every nation has experienced the Pandemic caused by COVID 19. The way we used to connect and exchange in our social life changed and it has impacted everybody and of course all sectors of society. 

So in difficult times we celebrate the kind words and the good energies and thoughts from our colleagues and friends. This is why in spite of all the constraints and complex experiences, IAPESGW wants to share our salutation to you all.

With respect to the culture of all our members, we wish you a blessed 2021, with plenty of health, peace and happiness. I hope we can continue working together to support women and girls’ participation in physical education, sport and/or physical activity, but moreover to support the participation of all in a fair, safe and peaceful environment. 

In 2021 we are looking forward to celebrate our 19th Quadrennial IAPESGW Congress. It is not under easy circumstances, however we need to continue with our planning. New challenges and initiatives will come – it should be a year in which we should celebrate the IAPESGW Board election but also award some of our distinguished scholars and supporters. 

IAPESGW has been a pioneer organization in the area of gender equality and sport and has worked since its foundation to promote these values. Wonderful people have been in and around our organization to make it grow. The best way to honour the IAPESGW legacy, which is also ours, is to keep working together. 

For a peaceful, healthy and joyful 2021 – I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Looking forward to meeting and celebrating our quadrennial congress 2021.

Rosa López de D’Amico

IAPESGW President 

Bonne Année –  ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! –  Blwyddyn Newydd Dda – Buon anno – Frohes Neues Jahr  – Gelukkig Nieuwjaar  – Gleðilegt nýtt ár  – あけましておめでとう– Xin Nian Kuai Le – Mutlu yıllar – Sťastný nový rok – Godt nytår – Hyvää uutta vuotta – Godt nytt år – Szczesliwego Nowego Roku – Feliz Ano Novo – S novym godom – gelukkige nuwejaar –  عام سعيد  –  新年快乐  – manigong bagong taon  – Καλή Χρονιά  – שנה טובה  – 새해 복 많이 받으세요  –  selamat tahun baru  –  С Новым Годом  –  yeni yılınız kutlu olsun  –  gott nytt år   

BRAZIL BREAKTHROUGH
1st women championship of the Brazilian rugby league, which took place on December 5 and 6 in the city of São Lourenço, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

 Announcements

  • IAPESGW wishes to thank Darlene Kluka for her recent kind donation.  Darlene was a presenter and panellist on the Indian PE and Coaching Certificate courses and has donated her honorarium from this to us.  Much appreciated Darlene. IAPESGW will accept donations at anytime.  As a non for profit volunteer organisation any funds raised are entirely used to run the association.
  • Women in Sport reports, research & expertise—the latest global quarterly update on women in sport industry reports, insights and research can now be accessed. (Victoria University) 
  • Every move counts towards better health – says WHO—up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active. At a time when many people are home bound due to COVID-19, new WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, launched today, emphasize that everyone, of all ages and abilities, can be physically active and that every type of movement counts. (World Health Organisation) 
  • Sport Australia resource helps clubs lift their game—a new Sport Australia resource launched this week is helping local sporting clubs and organisations across Australia not just survive the COVID-19 pandemic but return even bigger and better. (Sport Australia) 
  • Physical Activity Manifesto in the Context of COVID-19 – An international Call for Urgent Action

The participants of the 43rd International Symposium of Sports Sciences, which was held in São Paulo Brazil in October 2020, adopted a Manifesto to Promote Physical Activity in the context of COVID-19.

The document is available on the CELAFISCS website. There is a link to choose the English and Spanish version in the text. https://celafiscs.org.br/manifesto-da-atividade-fisica/

Administration and Management

  • Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe calls for more women in leadership roles in sport—Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe said more needs to be done to identify, develop and promote women to leadership roles in Australian sport, including the continuation of vital support programs. Mr Sharpe has expressed concern over the lack of women in senior leadership roles in Australian sport. (Sport Integrity Australia)
  • Risk Management practices in Community Sport Organisations [survey]—we are seeking the views of board members of Australian local sport clubs via an international research study across four countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, United States). The study involves the completion of an online research survey to explore sport leaders’ perceptions of resources and management practices in community sport organizations and clubs. We expect the survey to take about 15-20 minutes to complete. (Graham Cuskelly, Griffith University and Play by the Rules)

Athlete Wellbeing 

Basketball 

  • Basketball Australia and WNBL players agree to first ever CBA—the Chemist Warehouse WNBL has taken a major step towards professionalism after the players, clubs and Basketball Australia signed off on a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the first time in the league’s 41-year history. (Basketball Australia)

Child Protection 

Coaching & Leadership 

Colombia, Women and Sports News

By Eliana Giraldo Zapata and Duván Muñoz Giraldo

Women and sports, in Colombia and in many parts of the world, is a very controversial issue , which thanks to the contribution of many women and some national policies , the decrease in gender stereotypes that have existed throughout history, and in this case specifically in the sports sector where the role of women is marginal.

While we have eradicated some stereotypes, there are still many barriers to the participation of women in the various roles that exist in the sector sport. Currently in the world there is talk of female coaches, judges, an increase in female athletes, but specifically in Colombia the role of women can be highlighted above all in high-performance sports, where the individual struggle of women such as Mariana Pajón, María Isabel Urrutia, Catherine Ibargüen and many more than for their achievements, discipline and dedication, it is important to stand out as an icon for the country.

In order to promote gender equality in the field of sports, recreation and physical activity, Asomujer, the association for women and sports in Colombia, was created in 1995. Its mission being to be leaders in the development and promotion of strategies to strengthen gender equality in sports, physical activity and recreation, evidencing social, educational and cultural changes in the sports sector for Colombia and the region.

Progress in the importance of the role of women in sport has been significant in Colombia and the world, however, there is still a long way to go and many barriers to break.

SPORTS, WOMEN AND PUBLIC POLICIES IN COLOMBIA

  • By Melisa Peña Nieto

Historically, sport has been a difficult area for women in terms of inclusivity and participation, given the established idea of their place and role in society and the now naturalised direct and symbolic discrimination they face, something which needs to be addressed with the help of public policies that link sport and women. 

When talking about public policies for women, the aim is to highlight equality of opportunity between men and women, something which allows women’s rights to be fulfilled whilst breaking down the obstacles which bar their access to all spaces, particularly those traditionally occupied by men.

Therefore, first we need to understand women’s rights in order to demand governmental action in defence of them through public policy. The concepts of peace, gender equality, non-violence, health, property, participation, work and education under equal condition are central to this. 

In Colombia, there are limitations to talking about women’s participation in sport when there are still shortcomings in meeting basic food, housing and health needs, among others. In addition, it is important to take into account that, in a patriarchal cultural context: women spend a higher ratio of time on domestic work and unpaid care compared to men; poverty is higher in single-mother households than in those with male breadwinners; and domestic and sexual violence against women is a frequent daily occurrence.

Thus, it is necessary to recognise that women are a vulnerable group in Colombia and that government agencies at all levels need to act in order to create a safe and guaranteed path that facilitates their right to participation in sport, be it on administrative, scientific, psychological, nutritional, educational, formative, medical, technical or managerial levels, among others. In such roles they can contribute to sport and equality and, in turn, be rightfully respected as social agents. 

However, in spite of the aforementioned difficulties, Colombian sportswomen have fought to gain recognition at national and international level. One of the drivers of the change in socio-cultural stereotypes has been the increase in the number of female athletes in the Olympic Games competing in sports that were considered to be traditionally male such as archery, fencing, weightlifting, combat sports, wrestling and athletics. In 1968 there were just 3 female athletes competing in such sports, a number which rose to 72 in 2016. Moreover, Maria Isabel Urrutia’s gold medal in Sydney in 2000, in addition to breaking with sexist ideas that historically classified women as unfit for physical endeavours, opened the door to her contribution to Law 181 on sport in Colombia, improving the regulation of sports incentives for Olympic athletes.

Finally, the contribution made by this Colombian female athlete has shed light on the issue of women and sport in Colombia, something which must be identified, formulated, adopted, enacted on and evaluated through public policy. Beyond being a role model for men and women, she has shattered stereotypes and created more inclusivity, representing a breakthrough in Colombian sport.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  

  • Covid-19 and sport in the Asia Pacific region—without a doubt, Coronavirus is the main keyword that defines the socio-cultural and economic climate of 2020. Few areas in the world were immune from this global pandemic, and the global sport industry has also been severely affected by this viral disease (Ruihley and Li 2020). Tien Chin, T et al, Sport in Society)
  • Demand for public events in the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of European football—COVID-19 was affecting football match spectator demand before European countries enforced lockdowns and other restrictions to suppress the spread of the disease. This suggests that fans significantly responded to the risk of catching the virus. If this risk remains when stadiums reopen, then sports organisations should expect reduced ticket demand. This suggests that managers should adopt more dynamic and creative pricing strategies, and use their stadiums in more innovative ways, if they are to survive financially in a world where COVID-19 remains a threat to public health. (J. James Reade & Carl Singleton, European Sport Management Quarterly)
  • COVID-19 is like running a marathon with no finish line. What does sports science say about how we can win it?—in any feat of endurance, humans want to see the goal – and in the pandemic, we’re not there yet, despite the breakthroughs in vaccine research. Staying in the moment might be better for us than fantasizing about a future just beyond reach (Alex Hutchinson, op-ed, The Globe & Mail) 
  • Should you wear a face mask to exercise? Uncover the evidence with Prof. Janse van Rensburg [audio; 12:25mins]—on this week’s episode, we are joined by Prof Christa Janse van Rensburg to discuss the do’s and don’ts of mask wearing during exercise. (BMJ Talk Medicine, SoundCloud)
  • Study: Zero Incidents of COVID-19 Infections at Indoor Pools—the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance put together a study on the number of incidents and possible spread of COVID-19 in indoor pools in the state. New Jersey pools initially re-opened on July 2 and the NJSAA has been keeping track of the numbers since then from the 44 facilities that have responded for the study. (Dan D’Addona, Swimming World)
  • Why some people find it easier to stick to new habits they formed during lockdown—we compared the levels of physical activity of New Zealanders before and during the country’s major lockdown between March and May. We found 38.5% of our sample were doing more physical activity then they did prior to lockdown. But 36% did less and 25.5% were doing about the same. (Matthew Jenkins and Elaine Hargreaves, University of Otago, The Conversation)

Disability Sport 

e-Sports  

  • Esports and Cycling: A Match to Stand the Test of Time [Canada]—e-sports have experienced a meteoric rise in the last few years. According to a recent Reuters articleOpens in a new window, worldwide esports industry revenues are expected to top $159 billion by the end of 2020 with projections to surpass $200 billion by 2023. It is projected that more than 2.7 billion gamers will have participated in esports by the end of 2020. (Sport Information Resource Centre) 

Injuries & Medical Conditions 

(Editor:  Yes, I know about the injuries and later life consequences!  My husband competed in the Munich, Montreal and Moscow Olympics (basketball) and in later life the ankle injuries have caught up with him.)

International Sport Systems 

Performance Recovery 

Physical Activity 

  • How can we better promote physical activity to the public through messaging?—a key finding which was consistent across all populations groups was that physical activity messages should highlight the benefits of physical activity (rather than the consequences of inactivity), particularly the short-term mental and social health benefits. (Williams, C et al, Britsh Journal of Sports Medicine)
  • Use the new WHO guidelines on Physical Activity to “Influence the Influencers”—the new World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour are now ours to share and use to convince a variety of stakeholders to support our work. They’re also ours because we (the grassroots sport and physical activity sector) helped to create them. (International Sport and Culture Association)
  • Creative dance teaches all-round skills – it should be valued more in primary education—dance, by its very nature, is inclusive. It belongs to everybody and may appeal to young people who cannot engage in, or do not enjoy, traditional team games. Creative dance does not require formal training, making it ideal for all children – no matter their body type, cognitive ability, or skill level. It is not stylistic like other forms of dance, such as modern, tap, ballet or salsa. (Helen Payne & Barry Paraskeva Costas, University of Hertfordshire, The Conversation) 

Physical Health for Older Adults

Physical Literacy 

  • What are fundamental movement skills?—physical literacy is when kids have developed the skills, confidence, and love of movement to be physically active for life. In discussions of physical literacy, you’ll often hear talk of “fundamental movement skills.” But what exactly are they? (Jim Grove, Active for Life)
  • Physical literacy in the early years: raising healthy, happy & resilient children [video; 4:59mins]—in this short video researchers, educators and parents share their opinion on the Physical Literacy Proof of Concept Study in Child Care Settings.  This study measured the impacts of adding physical literacy programming in 39 child care centres in Alberta and British Columbia. (ActiveforLife, YouTube) 
  • The one simple secret to help your child become more confident—starting as early as in preschool, and certainly by elementary school, kids start to get the idea that they’re just not good at certain things. Whether it’s running, reading, math, or monkey bars, they lose the confidence to just keep trying. (Briana Tomkinson, Active for Life) 

Play 

  • Turn a hostage situation into a family adventure—in any hostage situation, those held captive begin to exhibit some abnormal behaviour. Some individuals cope better than others. Depending on the level of stress, some may do anything within their means to resist and break free whereas others may internalize the stress. (Victoria Babb, Play Ground Professionals)
  • Playful Schools: Toolkit for delivering Loose Parts Play in Covid-19 [Scotland]—the Playful Schools Project was a collaboration between Play Scotland and ScrapAntics CIC, funded by the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund. It was a pilot project to explore the potential for Loose Parts Play to promote children’s mental health and wellbeing in the context of Covid-19. (Play Scotland) 
  • 5 ways to get your kids off their screens and active—we all want our kids to grow up happy, healthy, and active. Yet for many families, when it comes to getting kids off their screens and playing outdoors, the struggle is real. (Dorathay Gass, Active for Life)

Preventive Health 

Sexuality & Gender Ethics 

South Africa – from Doreen Solomons

Dear IAPESGW Friends

I’m sharing this item (below) with you. Dr Beatrice Wiid (91 years old) who was very sick in hospital a few weeks ago….  recuperated to share this story. A tremendous effort and story about one of the oldest members of IAPESGW!!

Best wishes to all of you.

Doreen Solomons

Ninety-one-year-old academic challenges businesses, residents to help with housing delivery

“Dr. Beatrice Wiid (91) has been working tirelessly over her decades-long career, into her extremely active ‘retirement’ and as Chairperson of the Board of the Interchange Foundation to help others through her social action values-approach to life. One of her great passions is for housing and through her efforts, she has raised R340 000 from corporates to build Ms Nomonde Tshdna her own home in Khayelitsha. The City salutes Dr Wiid for her extraordinary contribution to the people of Cape Town. ….. Government alone cannot solve the affordable housing challenge. Dr Wiid’s efforts show a big opportunity exists for corporates to take a look at housing provision for qualifying members of their staff, especially as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.

Sport Concussion & Head Trauma 

  • Football and dementia: heading must be banned until the age of 18—alarm bells are ringing in sport about the risk of a group of chronic, neuro-degenerative diseases, commonly understood as dementia. There is an increasingly large body of evidence which has identified that small, repetitive collisions of the brain inside the skull cause this disease. (Keith Parry, Bournemouth University, Eric Anderson, University of Winchester, Howard Hurst, University of Central Lancashire, The Conversation) 
  • (Editor: this has more ramifications for girls and women as females’ brains suffer more through concussion, although medical science has yet to discover why this is so.)
  • Study into dementia risks from heading seeks female players to volunteer—a study into dementia in football is urging amateur and professional female players to volunteer to discover whether they could be more at risk than their male counterparts from repeatedly heading the ball. (Ed Aarons, The Guardian) 
  • Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes—to (1) compare neurocognitive performance, cognitive symptoms and mental health in retired elite female football players (FB) with retired elite female non-contact sport athletes (CON), and to (2) assess whether findings are related to history of concussion and/or heading exposure in FB. (Annika Prien, et.al., BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine) 
  • Volleyball star Hayley Hodson had it all, until blows to her head changed everything—Hayley Hodson, the 2015 American Volleyball Coaches Assn. freshman of the year at Stanford, saw her career cut short because of post-concussion syndrome. (Patrick Hruby, Los Angelos Times/yahoo!news)

Sport Injuries and Medical Conditions 

Sport Medicine 

  • Menstrual Cycle Change During COVID-19. Sharing some early results—one in five elite female Australian athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sports preparing for Tokyo 2021, have experienced a change in their menstrual cycle during COVID-19. The AIS Female Performance & Health Initiative initiated research surrounding elite athlete perceptions and experience of the menstrual cycle on performance. (Dr Alice McNamara et.al., BJSM blog) 

Sport Participation 

  • Keeping Girls in Sport: Evaluating the Impact of an Online Coach Education Resource—within the Canadian sport and physical activity sector, International Day of the Girl provides a reminder of the persisting challenges girls and young women confront to realizing the benefits of participation, and the opportunities for action. (Sara Szabo, Marco Di Buono and Michael D. Kennedy, SIRC)
  • House of Lords committee to scrutinise UK government’s record on increasing participation in physical activity[UK]—the House of Lords’ National Plan for Sport and Recreation committee has invited sporting organisations and members of the public in the UK, to provide their views on how to tackle the barriers which prevent people from taking part in sport and physical activity, as part of an inquiry into the government’s performance in relation to participation. (Tom Walker, Sports Management)
  • Youth sport participation and parental mental health—the purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the relations of having a child involved in youth sport and primary (i.e., parent that knows the child best) and secondary parents’ mental health. (Jordan T. Sutcliffe, et al, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Vol 52 January 2021)

VENEZUELAN NEWS – from Rosa López de D’Amico

On Saturday 12th November 2020 the Karate-Do in Venezuela was celebrating three important events in Maracay city. Roraima Solorzano and José Di Nino were given their deserved 8th Degree Black Belt – Hanshi (Philosopher in the Sosei Arts). Both of them have dedicated their lives to Karate Do, both former members of the national team, referees, administrators and coaches with their own Karate Do schools/gyms.

Besides, Di Nino is an academic at the ‘Simon Rodriguez University (UNESR)’ and president of the Aragua State Coaches Association. Dr. Roraima Solorzano is the first woman to receive this high degree, coach at the Teachers Training University (UPEL) and she is promoting the women and sport group in Aragua State.
Besides, in the event, the book Perpetuando el Ryu-Ha (Perpetuating the Ryu-Ha) was published in Spanish. The authors, Solorzano and Di Nino narrate the life and teaching of the Meijin Yuichi Negishi (their mentor) who was a world authority in Karate-Do. It is a beautiful book written with love and technique, a great narrative in which anyone can learn about this great master. Besides it is a wonderful example of two disciples writing about the legacy of their master.

In the last part of the event, I received a great susprise, the International Sosei Association awarded me a Honorific black belt – 1rst Dan for my academic and scientific support to sport and physical activity that also contribute to the Sosei Arts as disciplines that support human development in the different countries in which these arts are taught.

It has to be acknowledged the presence of the evaluators from the International Sosei Association (ISA) Hanshi 9th Dan Simón Zapata and 9th Hanshi 9th Dan Francisco Dávila.
Thanks for allowing me to share with you this special event and for making me much closer to the Karate Do family, it is a great responsibility!

Rosa López de D’Amico
12/12/2020

Thanks Aura and José Di Nino for the photos

Photo Left: (L-R) Roraima Solorzano, Francisco Dávila, SImón Zapata,Rosa López de D’Amico, José Di Nino | Photo Center: Part of the Kara Do family who attended the event.

Women in Sport 

  • ‘Being a mum doesn’t win matches’: tennis stars turn focus back to sport—a few days after the end of Roland Garros, the world No 89, Taylor Townsend, had a message to share. In a video posted on Instagram, she recalled the obstacles she has faced in her short career and the resilience that has guided her through it all. She then revealed she will be taking maternity leave, ending with a simple conclusion: “I’m sure this won’t be any different so I will have to prove them wrong again.” (Tumaini Carayol, The Guardian)
  • She’s got it all: talent, determination, and barriers men don’t have to worry about [Canada]—when it comes to sport, women and girls have got it all, and then some. Unfortunately, they also have an extra set of challenges that men and boys do not. (Canadian Women & Sport)
  • Beyond the Balls: Danielle Warby, Advocate for Women in Sport [audio, 28 minutes]—an occasional soccer player Danielle Warby focuses her energy on advocating for women in sport. (Women Sport Australia & WiSP Sports) 
  • Influencing Gender Equity through an Infographic—on the 2019 International Day of the Girl, the Valley Female Leadership Network (VFLN), in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, posted an infographic on the status of girls and women’s participation and leadership in sport and recreation. This blog is the story of our infographic. (Anna Sherwood, Melissa Sullivan & Melissa Grandberg, Sport Information Resource Centre)
  • Programs encouraging more women, of all abilities, to play wheelchair sports—when wheelchair basketballer Jess Cronje played her first game for a national mixed team, one of her opponents warned if she got in his way again and stopped him from scoring, he was going to squash her like a bug. (Amanda Shalala, ABC News)
  • Surfing Victoria launches Surf Her Way Women and Girls Strategy—Surfing Victoria is proud to launch the Surf Her Way Women & Girls Strategy to guide the creation of a more diverse and inclusive surf culture and community in Victoria and to achieve greater equality in and out of the water. (Surfing Victoria)
  • Daughters And Dads: Lottery Funding Boosts Reach Online [UK]—the project replicates a programme which was designed by the University of Newcastle, Australia to help families get active with their children, specifically targeting the relationships between dads and daughters. (Connect Sport)
  • Female Performance & Health Initiative—the AIS Female Performance & Health Initiative (FPHI) was established in October 2019, to improve female athlete specific knowledge and systems of support. The initiative will benefit Australian athletes, coaches, parents, sporting organisations and support staff in the sport sector and will raise awareness and understanding to key female athlete performance and health considerations. (Australian institute of Sport) 

United Nations Women Australia: Celebrating the moves toward equality

What a year we’ve had! 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all in so many different ways and shed light on existing gender inequalities, such as unequal division of unpaid care work in our homes and the increase of domestic violence. While these urgent needs remain at the forefront of our thoughts and actions, it is also important to celebrate the milestones we have reached.

As 2020 draws to a close, we take a look back at some of the most memorable achievements for gender equality and women’s rights around the world.

We cannot let this momentum stop. In 2021 we will continue to stand for women and girls everywhere as we work towards a more gender equal world. We hope you will join us.

Don’t forget next year is our Quadrennial Congress, September 2021 in China.  See you there!

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The International Update is the information and knowledge sharing platform for IAPESGW. It brings together evidence and insights from many agencies and sources all in one place.

Your contributions are encouraged and appreciated. If you would like to suggest a resource, share your announcements or provide feedback, please email crosswhite@bigpond.com

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