INTERNATIONAL UPDATE – SEPt/OCT 2020

President’s Report, Rosa Lopez de D’Amico
IAPESGW is again participating with the Indian Ministry of Sport in their course for Community PE teachers and Coaches, October 12th to November 6th. IAPESGW Board members presenting include Beatriz Ferreira, Fatima El Faquir, Marilin Gonzales, Maria Guindo, Rosa Diketmuller, Maryam Koushkie and myself. IAPESGW has recently hosted the first virtual meeting with our Local Organising Committee from Tianjin University of Sport, China for our Quadrennial Conference with the new date, September 2021. More information about the program will follow shortly. Thanks to the support of Carole Oglesby I participated on behalf of the three women organizations (IAPESGW, IWG, WSI), in the online ‘2nd Ibero-American conference about Sport in COVID -19 Times’. It was an event organized by the Iberoamerican Council of Sport (CID), Unesco and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB). I also appreciate the support from Belén Lara (CID). It took place on October 9th, 2020. There are many activities that the CID has organized. The CID has 22 country members. They divide the región in 3 subregions: Iberian peninsula, Central America and the Caribbean, and South America.

Here, there are some links to more information and shared links with publications:

Sport in the time of pandemic. An Ibero-American perspective https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374467_eng

In Spanish and Portuguese:
El deporte en tiempos de pandemia: una mirada desde Iberoamérica https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374467
O Esporte em tempos de pandemia: Um olhar desde Ibero-América https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374467_por

Other links with information: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-333185

From Guatemala https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=785901262185363&external_log_id=29be4202b5a90b8e2f456b85461ee00711:08
From Spain https://www.urjc.es/images/Noticias/Noticias/2020/Informe_estudio_FEA_ADESP_CSD_impacto_covid19.pdf
Information about the event: http://coniberodeporte.org/es/noticias/item/366-2-conferencia-iberoamericana-de-deporte-en-tiempos-de-covid-19

Report on the 2020 Yokohama Sport Conference, “Contributing to a Sustainable World”, held online 8-22 September 2020.

INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS: THE POWER TO UNITE COMMUNITIES

This online Sport Conference was notable for IAPESGW, with many symposia presentations and oral contributions from past and present Board members.

Board member Arisa Yagi (Japan) was on the organising committee and board member Marianne Mier (Switzerland) gave a keynote presentation, ‘The Contribution of ‘Empowerment Through Sport” to a Sustainable World’; below.

Here is the list of speakers:

Rosa Lopez de D’Amico (Venezuela) presented on

“Women in Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport Challenges and Opportunities”.

Rosa Diketmuller (Austria) presented on “Implementing school-based physical activity projects”: Physical activity coaches as agents in school-based physical activitx projects – educational concepts and quality concerns

Maria Beatriz Rocha Ferreira (Brazil) spoke on Sport Development in Brazil.

Maria Luisa M. Guinto (Philippines) presented on:

1.Organized Symposia: Developments of Women’s Sport in Asia
“Bridging the Gender Divide in Sports: The Philippine Experience”

2. Sport Psychology in Action – Opportunities and Challenges in Support of Performance Excellence
“Walk the Talk: Self-Care as Moral Obligation of the Sport Psychology Consultant”

Letter of Commitment, from IAPESGW, August 2020

To: The Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

Recognizing the critical need for deepened commitment and action from a diverse array of partners from around the globe to revitalize and inspire a new generation around the relevance and urgency of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and accelerate the transformative change needed to achieve gender equality, including in and through sport, I am pleased to confirm that The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women (IAPESGW) supports the vision outlined in the Sports for Generation Equality Framework.

With this communication, we express our intent to contribute to the implementation of the Sports for Generation Equality Principles and commit to working collaboratively with our peers and relevant stakeholders to develop, implement and enhance the gender equality agenda in and through sports.

The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women [IAPESGW] will communicate this commitment to our stakeholders and the general public and will report publicly on progress.

Yours Sincerely,
Rosa López de D’Amico
IAPESGW – President
Place: Maracay – Venezuela
Date: August 29th, 2020

Janice Crosswhite
IAPESGW – Communication Director
Place: Melbourne – Australia
Date: August 29th, 2020

IAPESGW Board 2017 – 2021
President: Rosa López de D’Amico (Venezuela)
Vice Presidents: Rosa Diketmüller (Austria) & Beatriz Ferreira (Brazil)
Secretary/Treasurer: Kathy Ludwing (USA)
Communications: Janice Crosswhite (Australia)

Members: Maryam Koushkie Jahromi (Iran), Marianne Meier (Switzerland), Gladys Bequer (Cuba), María Dolores Gonzalez (Spain), Maria Guindo (Philippines), Fatima El-Faquir (Morocco) and Arisa Yagi (Japan)

Announcements

A new and needed resource has been created, led by Professor Clare Hanon at Victoria University, to raise awareness to teachers and principals on the importance of girls participating in physical activity in schools. The resource will be launched 30^th October.

The last four months of global research and industry reports focused on women and girls in sport and physical activity (September – November) has been released and can be accessed https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/university-profile/women-in-sport/women-in-sport-reports-research-expertise

8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport—in a world still deeply affected by COVID-19, we are pleased to launch our first ever physical-digital hybrid World Conference. (IWG Catalyst e-Newsletter)

Gender Equity Charter—our vision is to be a leader and champion for gender equity in the Australian parks and leisure sector. We know actions speak louder than words so we’ve developed the Charter. (Parks & Leisure Australia)

Muscle strengthening activities among Australian adults – In focus—Australian studies examining muscle strengthening activities (MSA) focus on resistance and weight training. This report identified other activity types that may strengthen muscles, adapting the methodology used in UK health studies. (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare)

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) position statement on disordered eating in high performance sport—The Australian Institute of Sport and the National Eating Disorders Collaboration have collaborated to provide this position statement, containing guidelines for athletes, coaches, support staff, clinicians and sporting organisations. The guidelines support the prevention and early identification of disordered eating, and promote timely intervention to optimise nutrition for performance in a safe, supported, purposeful and individualised manner. This position statement is a call to action to all involved in sport to be aware of poor self-image and poor body image among athletes. The practical recommendations should guide the clinical management of disordered eating in high performance sport. (Kimberley Wells, Nikki Jeacocke, Renee Appaneal, Hilary Smith, Nicole Vlahovich, Louise Burke, David Hughes, Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC))

Multi-agency roles and responsibilities—the Australian Government is taking a coordinated and collaborative approach to Australian sport at all levels, with a vision to be the world’s most active and healthy sporting nation, committed to encouraging safe participation and known for its integrity and success. (Sport Australia, Australian Institute of Sport, National Sports Tribunal, Sport Integrity Australia)

Best practice principles for Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement providers—best practice principles for high performance sports. (Australian Institute of Sport)

Her Sport, Her Way: Year One Highlights 2019-2020—the success of the first year of Her Sport Her Way centres around the clear role it set out for the NSW Government to work with the sport sector. (NSW Office of Sport)

Athlete Wellbeing

Mental health management of elite athletes during COVID-19: a narrative review and recommendations—elite athletes suffer many mental health symptoms and disorders at rates equivalent to or exceeding those of the general population. COVID-19 has created new strains on elite athletes, thus potentially increasing their vulnerability to mental health symptoms. This manuscript serves as a narrative review of the impact of the pandemic on management of those symptoms in elite athletes and ensuing recommendations to guide that management. (Claudia L Reardon et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine)

How to be a great sports parent during and after COVID-19—our young athletes need us more than ever to help create the right circumstances for their development, and the new normal may look very little like the old one did. This is not about mowing down all the obstacles in their paths; it is about helping to instill the values and coping skills to succeed. (Changing the Game/Active for Life)

(Editor: for parents, grandparents and friends to read; such good advice!)

The Psychological Burden of Retirement from Sport—this review focuses on the impact athletic retirement has on the psychological well-being of collegiate athletes. We provide an algorithm to inform clinical decision making regarding involuntary retirement, as well as recommendations for the development of support programs and educational resources for athletes struggling with career transition. (Esopenko, Carrie, et.al., Current Sports Medicine Reports)

Recognising And Battling The Mental Health “Opponent”—on World Mental Health Day 2020, Danish canoeist René Holten Poulsen opens up about how a terrible experience at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 elicited a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaction, and details the steps he has taken to recover as he aims to come back stronger in Tokyo next year. (Olympic.org)

Helping Athletes To Stay Mentally Fit—on the eve of World Mental Health Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasises the need to support athletes through the difficult times the world is currently facing, and highlights the initiatives it has put in place over the past two years to drive the conversation on mental health and improve athletes’ well-being. (Olympic.org)

Coaching and Leadership

Sports federations leading the way to increase percentage of female coaches and technical officials—sessions three and four of the IOC’s gender equality webinar series – hosted live on 14 September and now available online – highlighted some of the great work International Federations (IFs) are doing to develop their pool of female coaches and technical officials, and provided concrete guidelines and tools for others to use. (IOC)

Coaching Strategies to Maximize Long-Term Learning and Performance for Athletes—at a time when athletes and coaches have been inundated with pseudoscientific ideas about the importance of accumulating 10,000 hours of practice, the importance of practice quality often does not receive the attention it should. (Leanne Elliott & Nick Wattie, Sport Information Resource Centre

Creating a New Horizon for Women in Coaching—there has been massive growth in girls’ and women’s participation in sport – this has not been matched by proportionate growth in women coaches. Sporting organisations and individual coaches must take purposeful action to improve the balance and diversity of coaching and enhance sport around the world. (Lawrie Woodman, Australian Sport Reflections)

(Editor: A good summary of where we are and what needs to change to have more female coaches.)

Concussion & Head Trauma

Concussion can accelerate ageing of the brain – research from the rugby pitch—the serious harm caused by concussion in sport first became apparent among the “punch-drunk” boxers who suffered repetitive blows to the head over the course of their fighting careers. A related form of brain damage is known to affect a range of other sports and professions, where repeated head injuries kill brain cells and gradually cause the brain to shrink. (Tom Downs, Chris Marley, Damian Bailey, University of South Wales, The Conversation)

Commonwealth Games

Birmingham 2022 to award more medals to women than men—the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the first major multi-sport event to award more medals to women than men, organisers have announced. There will be 136 medal events for women in the English city, compared to only 134 for male athletes. (Dan Palmer, Inside the Games)

Women take centre stage—as the Games for everyone, we are developing a programme that puts women’s and para sport centre stage. As part of this we’ve assembled a stellar line up of past, present and future champions of women’s sport to look back at the barriers broken down over the decades, and ask what still needs to be done to ensure equal representation at every level of the industry. (Birmingham 2022)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Return to Play Fund launched [UK]—we’ve launched a new £16.5 million fund to give additional help to the sport and physical activity sector during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The Return to Play Fund will support groups, clubs and organisations who’ve been impacted by restrictions brought in to tackle the disease, and is part of our overall response to the crisis that now includes more than £220m of government and National Lottery funding. (Sport England)

Performing in a Pandemic: The Resilience and Leadership of Canadian Athletes—this article is the first in a special series that explores how Canadian sport leaders are adapting and innovating to safeguard the well-being of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major games during a global pandemic. In this feature, athletes, team leaders, and top medical experts talk about the extraordinary challenges of training during lockdown, learning to cope with isolation, and the surprising silver linings that may actually improve Canada’s chances for international success in 2021. (SIRC)

Grappling with a touchy subject—handshakes, hugs and high-fives face uncertain future. Boxers have been touching gloves before throwing punches for more than a century. For almost as long, NFL players have traditionally greeted each other with hand slaps at the pregame coin toss, while in hockey, basketball, tennis and golf, fierce rivals have exchanged hugs, high-fives and handshakes. (Murray Greig, China Daily)

Covid-19 And Sport: Webinar Series Published [UK]—London Sport has published a series of webinars which focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications for community and grassroots sport. (Connect Sport)

Healthy movement behaviours in children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring the role of the neighbourhood environment—this paper explores patterns of increased/ decreased physical activity, sedentary and sleep behaviours among Canadian children and youth aged 5-17 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines how these changes are associated with the built environment near residential locations. Raktim Mitra et.al., Health & Place)

Cardiorespiratory considerations for return-to-play in elite athletes after COVID-19 infection: a practical guide for sport and exercise medicine physicians—to support safe RTP, we provide sport and exercise medicine physicians with practical recommendations on how to exclude cardiorespiratory complications of COVID-19 in elite athletes who place high demand on their cardiorespiratory system. As new evidence emerges, guidance for a safe RTP should be updated. (Mathew G Wilson et.al., British Journal of Sports Medicine)

Cricket

Cricket Australia launches next innings of female participation—Cricket Australia has today [Tuesday, 8 September 2020] launched its new female participation strategy, titled The Next Innings: Accelerating Female Participation. Registered participation among women and girls has grown 61% in four years from 47,831 to 76,413 Australia-wide. The Next Innings aims to build on the momentum, with continued support from the Commonwealth Bank who also share this commitment to grow the women’s game. (Cricket Australia)

Cuba

Above are the details of an online Cuban Congress CUBAMOTRICIADED, 4-5 December 2020. Thanks to DrGladys Bequer for this information.

Esports

What brands need to know about esports—esports is competitive, organised video game competitions and it’s the fastest growing sports segment in the world, with some 400 millions of players worldwide. Esports is calculated to be worth in excess of US$1 billion this year, according to research by Newzoo. (Rosalyn Page, CMO)

Inclusion of electronic sports in the Olympic Games for the right (or wrong) reasons—with so many popular and unique sports played around the world, one of the most important challenges for the International Olympic Committee is deciding which ones merit inclusion in the Olympic Games. (Pack, s et al, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics)

The Global Esports Federation Welcomes International Federations—the Global Esports Federation welcomes International Federations – World Karate Federation, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (World Pentathlon), and International Canoe Federation – as members. The GEF has now confirmed eight International Federations – more than 70 Member Federations – sharing the collective mission to bridge the connection between sport, esports and virtual sport – powered by innovative technology. (Around the Rings)

Flying Disc

WFDF Releases Gender Equity Toolkit—Australian Flying Disc Association welcomes the release of the World Flying Disc Federation’s Gender Equity Toolkit as a timely resource for our sport. The WFDF Gender Equity Toolkit will inform the AFDA’s development of policy, processes and standards to ensure all members of our community are supported on matters of gender. (Simon Wood, Australian Flying Disc Association)

Golf

Be inspired… Vision 2025 website is here!—Golf Australia is proud to launch its Vision 2025 website. The website is a dedicated space for all thing’s women and girls. It includes participation information and resources for clubs to make their facilities more welcoming and inclusive for all. (Golf Australia)

MyGolf continues to boom with girls only program—female golf participation continues to rise with an influx of MyGolf Girls programs around the country. (Golf Australia)

Gymnastics

FIG announces e-conference to explore solutions for a respectful culture in the sport—the International Gymnastics Federation announces the holding of an e-conference on 26-27 October aimed at “finding solutions for a respectful culture and safe training environment in Gymnastics”. (Around the Rings)

Hockey and Trans Gender

Hockey Australia welcomes everybody, exactly as they are—Hockey Australia (HA) is proud to be among nine peak sporting bodies that have committed to implementing governance that supports a greater level of inclusion for trans and gender diverse people within their respective sports. (Hockey Australia)

(Editor: A world first with nine Australian peak sport bodies supporting trans gender and sexually diverse participants).

Inclusive Sport

Building cultural diversity in sport: a critical dialogue with Muslim women and sports facilitators—this paper draws upon focus groups with 38 Muslim women and 14 sports facilitators to explore the opportunities and constraints for Muslim women’s participation in sport and active recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Nida Ahmad et.al., International Journal of Sport Policy & Politics)

United Nations: CIPEPS: Intergovernmental Committee of Physical Education and Sport:

Thematic Priorities and Working Methods of the Committee

The above PDF is a report from their October meeting, calling for volunteers to join their working committees.

International Sport Systems

ParticipACTION Impact Report 2019-20 [Canada]—this is the first fully digital version of our report, telling the story of the impact our organization has had on individual Canadians, the communities that make up our country, and the overall issue of physical activity. (ParticipACTION)

Media, Broadcasting & Communication

Graphic designer shows what sports pages look like with men removed—Katherine Burgess cut men from the New York Times sports section front to show how little remains. (Brandie Weikle and Menaka Raman-Wilms, CBC Radio)

Six Steps for Social Media Success in Community Sport—Reboot Sport aims to build confidence in your sporting club’s ability to engage with new and current members. Research has been undertaken to provide this article as guidance for clubs on how to use social media as an essential resource so you can get started with social media to promote and add value. (Reboot Sport)

Nutrition

9 ways you can make a recipe healthier—technology has given us unprecedented access to all sorts of recipes. In fact, you could say we are in oversupply. Some recipes look great in the picture but when you look through the ingredients or methods they may not actually be all that healthy by the time it gets to your plate. As you sift through the options online not all recipes will be equally healthy, which can make it tricky to identify which are appropriate for you and your health and performance goals. (NSW Institute of Sport)

Physical Activity

Study shows what motivates kids to be active [Canada]—children need physical activity for healthy development, so parents have a vested interest in helping their kids to learn to love activity. Unfortunately, a lot of factors discourage children and youth from being active. (Jim Grove, Active for Life)

GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli calls on sports community to #BeActive—GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli is calling on the international sports community and GAISF Members to encourage their communities young and old to get out and #BeActive as part of the European Week of Sport. (Global Association of International Sports Federations)

Programming Tips for Rural, Remote and Indigenous Communities [Canaca]—finding ways to maintain and improve health is more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while physical activity can prevent disease , enhance mental health , and reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections by up to 50%, less than 1 in 5 Canadian adults are currently meeting Canada’s physical activity guidelines. (Sport Information Resource Centre)

Canada’s First Ever 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults Help Make the Whole Day Matter—the first ever 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults show Canadians what a healthy 24 hours looks like when it comes to physical activity, sedentary behaviours and sleep, featuring recommendations for those 18-64 and 65 and older. (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology)

Physical Literacy

Early childhood movement program helping children beat poor prognoses—Special Olympics Australia is poised for national rollout of a new program that shows how effective coaching can help young children diagnosed with likely motor skill deficiency to develop proficiently. (Andrea Phillips, Special Olympics Australia)

Play

Importance Of Play For Children Undergoing Occupational Therapy—playing is important to a child’s development, which goes beyond merely having fun. Until kids are matured enough to think for themselves, play is one of the most effective ways to introduce children into society. (Perry Boyle, Playground Professionals)

Preventative Health

Healthy Active Ageing—welcome to the new Healthy Active Ageing Module, developed by the Heart Foundation. This module was created as part of our ongoing commitment to support professionals to get older Australians active. This project has been funded by Sport Australia through the Move It AUS Better Ageing Grants program. (Heart Foundation)

Sexuality & Gender Ethics

World Rugby’s proposed ban on trans athletes is wrong. History shows inclusion is possible—for the past three years, I have been researching Australia’s transgender history and have had the privilege of interviewing trans women and men who play sport and, to varying degrees, faced fights over their right to play. (Noah Riseman, The Conversation)

Safeguarding and gender-balanced media portrayal in sport promoted in concluding sessions of IOC’S gender equality webinar series—the challenge for women’s sport to achieve parity with men’s is clear: of the world’s top 100 highest-paid athletes, only two are women, while only four per cent of sports media content is dedicated to women. At the Olympic Games, female representation among accredited media averages 20 per cent. (International Olympic Committee)

(Editor: well worth watching these two webinars.)

Specific Detriment: Barriers and Opportunities for Non-Binary Inclusive Sports in Scotland—this article reports findings from a participatory scoping study that explored the barriers that non-binary people face in accessing sporting spaces, communities, and competitions. It also identifies strategies through which these barriers could be overcome, and non-binary inclusion facilitated. (Sonja Erikainen et.al., Journal of Sport & Social Issues)

JOC to introduce measures aimed at protecting female athletes from sexualised photos—the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) are to introduce measures aimed at preventing female athletes from being photographed in a sexualised manner when competing in their events. (Michael Pavitt, Inside the Games)

Sponsorship, Marketing and Advertising

Nike named sporting world’s most marketed brand on social media—Nike is the world’s most marketed brand on social media, according to SportsPro’s list of World’s 50 Most Marketed brands on Social media. The rankings see Nike edge out Emirates Airlines to take top spot, while Adidas came in at third spot, followed by Monster Energy and Red Bull to close out the top 5. (Zane Gelsi, Ministry of Sport)

Sport Participation

Good and bad effects of corona pandemic on sports participation in Denmark—research from the Danish Institute for Sports Studies shows that the corona pandemic has affected participation rates in sport and exercise both negatively and positively. Whilst 20% have stopped exercising, 25% of those who were not active before the pandemic, now exercise regularly. (Kirsten Sparre, Play the Game)

Sport for Development

Sport: A global accelerator of peace and sustainable development for all—sport and physical activity can help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and wellbeing of people. Investing in sport programmes and policies can build global resilience to deal with future global shocks. A recent report from the United Nations Secretary-General details how. (sportanddev.org)

Active Kids project unites children and Syrian refugees through sport in Turkey—the Turkish Olympic Committee is working with Syrian refugee children to build their social cohesion with their new communities, while also promoting the values of leading an active and healthy lifestyle. (Sport & Dev)

It’s football, but not as we know it—Nagin Gavan is an Afghan refugee whose parents moved to Denmark in 2002, so she was brought up in a very ‘Danish-style’ culture. Relatively quickly she discovered that she was a good footballer and she never considered that it was unusual in Denmark to see girls playing football wearing a hijab. (Sports Marketing Network)

Sport Injuries & Medical Conditions

Periods as barometers of hormonal health. Female athlete health Pt 1 with Dr Nicky Keay [audio; 13:49mins]—a dive into female athlete health with Dr Nicky Keay. Dr Keay is a Sports and Dance Endocrinologist and Honorary Fellow at the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University. (BMJ Talk Medicine, SoundCloud)

Sport Science

The Enduring Mystery of Muscle Cramps—a new study suggests that strength training is more important than electrolytes for preventing cramps. (Alex Hutchinson, Outside)

Switzerland News from Susi-Käthi Jost

The movement of women in sport in Switzerland is getting active again in different fields – finally!!!

Women in Leadership Positons in Sport

A Podiums discussion on this topic took place August 28^th 2020 in Switzerland. The percentage of women in sport is growing in elite sport and sport for all, but not in leadership positions, there is still a small number of women in these positions. Watch full Podium Discussion in German and French.

Women’s soccer in the Swiss Parliament

Since September 2020 the female members of the Swiss Parliament are having their own soccer team. The Team plans to have one training session and one match per session that means four times a year. The first game will probably take place in spring 2021, depending on the situation with corona.

The aims of the team are to promote women’s soccer and women’s sport and to promote the exchange between the female members of the parliament and the population.

Women and Elite Sport

A project under the lead of former Swiss marathon runner and holder of the Swiss Record Maja Neuenschwander has been launched.

Find more information in German and French

Vale: In memory of Loraine Swanepoel (South Africa) who died recently.

Loraine was very active in her preparatory school and also as part of the “purple turtles’. She was an enthusiastic, passionate leader in the field of physical education, coaching, dance and gymnastics. Her school participated in the Opening Ceremony for IAPESGW’s Congress in Stellenbosch. Loraine was a long-term member of IAPESGW and had attended five Congresses. We honour her life and legacy. (Contribution form Doreen Solomons).

United Nations

TOP PICKS
In Focus: International Day of the Girl 2020

This International Day of the Girl Child (11 October), we celebrated by amplifying the voices of girls who are reimagining a better world inspired and led by adolescent girls, as part of the global Generation Equality movement. Girls globally are demanding a life free from gender-based violence, access to health, skills, recognition and investment as leaders of social change.
Read more »

UN Secretary-General reports on ending violence against women COVID-related social isolation and restrictions on movement, coupled with economic insecurity and lost livelihoods, have significantly increased women and girls’ vulnerability to violence, especially in the home. During the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Member States were urged to intensify global efforts to eliminate violence against women. Read the latest reports from the UN Secretary-General that examines the issue and underscores the need for urgent action: Violence against women and girls | Female genital mutilation | Trafficking in women and girls

United Nations: CIPEPS: Intergovernmental Committee of Physical Education and Sport:

Thematic Priorities and Working Methods of the Committee

The above PDF is a report from their October meeting, calling for volunteers to join their working committees.

Women in Sport

Why do more girls quit sports than boys?—girls today have the opportunity to play pretty much any sport they wish to try, including traditionally male-dominated sports such as hockey, boxing, rugby, or football. Yet as a new report on girls and women in sport reveals, getting—and keeping—girls in the game requires more than simply allowing them to play. (David Benay, Active for Life)

IBU establish gender equality working group—the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has established a gender equality working group. (Nancy Gillen, Inside the Games)

‘Tone-deaf’: Female players fume over unacceptable’ model gaffe—New Zealand clothing company Canterbury has apologised after a jersey launch for the women’s international team was slammed for showcasing models instead of the players. (Riley Morgan, Yahoo Sport Australia)

Kylie and Susan were a picture of health. But their periods were telling them a different story—if you’re a young, healthy woman, keeping your body in peak physical shape, why would you struggle to conceive? Well, it’s complicated. (Amanda Shalala, ABC)

Women In Sport Reports, Research & Expertise—latest research articles, industry announcements and industry reports relating to key focus areas on women in sport. (Victoria University)

From energy levels to metabolism: understanding your menstrual cycle can be key to achieving exercise goals—it’s pretty normal to feel full of energy for exercise some days, and as though you can’t be bothered on other days. For women, there’s a physiological explanation behind this. (Nicholas Fuller, University of Sydney, The Conversation)

A balancing act: women players in a new semi-Professional team sport league—this study aimed to develop a better understanding of the experiences of women entering into a new career in semi-professional team sport. (Taylor, T et al, European Sport Management Quarterly)

This Girl Can returns with campaign focusing on challenges of the pandemic [UK]—Sport England has launched the latest edition of the popular This Girl Can campaign, celebrating the inventive ways women have been staying active during the pandemic. (Tom Walker, Sports Management)

Liz Cambage’s powerful message in nude shoot for Playboy—Liz Cambage has shared a powerful message about body positivity after posing topless for Playboy. (AAP, Yahoo Sports)

Australia’s greatest ever sportswoman is still going strong in Queanbeyan— Such is her long list of sporting accomplishments, Heather McKay concedes that she had to go to a website the other day to remind herself of her achievements in tennis. The website heralds her considerable feats in four sports: squash, tennis, racquetball and hockey. But tennis is her passion these days, playing socially four times a week with the social aspect just as appealing as the competition. (Tim Gavel, Riot ACT)

Longitudinal Trends in Sport Participation and Retention of Women and Girls. Research Summary—a summary of published paper: Eime et al. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (2020). (Eime et al., Sport & Recreation Spatial)

Coalfields, biscuits and Ipswich: Australian women’s football in the 1930s—Women have played football in Australia for over 100 years. We need to know more about the shoulders we stand on; the women who, in spite of incredible challenges, prejudice and a lack of resources or encouragement, persisted and played. (Lee McGowan, beyond90.com.au)

Batting, bowling, tracking periods and talking fertility in Australian women’s cricket—the Australian women’s cricket team is tracking players’ periods and now has a full-time female doctor for support around women’s health. It is a big win for bowler Megan Schutt, who is starting the process of IVF. (Amanda Shalala, ABC News)

The FA (19 October 2020)
We’re pleased to unveil our ambitious new Women’s and Girls’ Football Strategy
Our new four-year strategy, titled Inspiring Positive Change, pledges to create a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football in England. The strategy outlines EIGHT transformational objectives to be achieved by 2024:

EARLY PARTICIPATION – Every primary school-aged girl to have equal access to football in school and in clubs.

DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION – Every girl to have equal access to participate for fun, for competition and for excellence.

CLUB PLAYER PATHWAY – Collaborate with clubs to develop an effective high-performance, inclusive player-centred pathway.

ELITE DOMESTIC LEAGUES AND COMPETITIONS – Create the best professional women’s sports leagues and competitions in the world.

ENGLAND – Win a major tournament.

FOOTBALL FOR ALL – Recruit and support a motivated, diverse range of local leaders organising football for their communities.

COACHING – Support the development of exceptional coaches at every level of the game who are representative of our society.

REFEREEING – Ensure that every female referee afforded high-quality bespoke learning and development opportunities from grassroots through to the elite game.

The strategy will see football embedded for girls in schools, as part of the PE curriculum and in after-school sessions, setting the target that 90 per cent of schools [both primary and secondary] in England to become part of the FA Girls’ Football School Partnerships network, supported by Barclays. Away from school, it pledges to provide every girl with a Wildcats programme within easy travelling distance of their home.

View the full news item

Inspiring Positive Change. The FA Strategy For Women’s and Girls’ Football: 2020-2024.
The Football Association, October 2020 (52 pages)

Football has the power to change lives for the better. It can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing, it can provide opportunities to compete and collaborate with others and it can help to shape the place of girls and women in wider society. Our strategy is based on understanding an individual’s motivation to play – for learning, for recreation, for competition and for excellence. We want to ensure there is access and opportunity for every girl and woman to play, coach, spectate, officiate, manage or administer if they so wish and the game to be truly representative of our society across all protected characteristics¹ and social backgrounds.

We have built our long-term strategy around the following:

Giving every girl the earliest opportunity to have a fun, enjoyable introduction to the game in school and club.
Providing a well-signposted, inclusive and accessible club player pathway that supports the talented girls and young women who aspire to play in The FA Women’s National League, The FA Women’s Championship and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
Being at the global forefront of women’s professional sport and developing the best women sports leagues and competitions in the world.
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INTERNATIONAL UPDATE – SEPt/OCT 2020

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