Highlights
Speakers confirmed - GO Conference 2025
Conference Programme and Panelists
The first speakers for the 2025 GO Gender Equality and Sport+ Conference have been announced and will continue to be updated.
New GO CEO
The Board of the Global Observatory is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lombe Mwambwa, as CEO of the GO effective 1 June 2025.
New Observer Board Members
Governance
The GO is pleased to welcome two new Observer Board members from major partner institutions, UNESCO and OHCHR.
New Good Practice Story
Get Into Rugby PLUS
The GO is thrilled to share the lastest addition to our Good Practice Stories collection, Rugby for a Cause; Tackling Violence, scoring for Equity.
The GO signed MOUs with York University and La Trobe University
Through the MOUs, both York University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science and La Trobe University will contribute greatly to the GO netwrok and its numerous initiatives. Learn more about the MOUs in our News section below.
The Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport Conference 2025 – “Connecting for Change” has just wrapped up in Lausanne,CH.
What an energizing and inspiring gathering it was!
32 speakers
8 sessions
29 different organizations represented
All united under one goal: advancing gender equality in and through sport.
Thanks to keynotes and expert panels, the day showcased the strength of collective action and the urgency of change.
After inspiring welcome words from Christelle Luisier Brodard, Felicite Rwemarika and Lombe Mwambwa, we explored :
• Inclusive and safe sport environments with Hasnae El Ayoubi El Idrissi ; Decius Chipande PhD. Nikki Dryden OLY Hugh Torrance around Adele Pavlidis.
• Accountability for gender-based violence with Dr. Kirsty Forsdike, Toluiva Keneti Victoire A. Mathilde Grenet around Anne Tiivas
• Beyond-the-numbers impact measurement with MARÍA BELÉN LARA MARTÍNEZ, Nana Akua Achiaa Adom-Aboagye, PhD and Angela Mantilla around Lombe Mwambwa
• The transformative role of tech & AI in sport with Lucy Mills
• Athlete leadership & empowerment with Bernadette Deka-Zulu, Friba Rezayee – OLY, Maggie Mac Neil around Gabriela Garton
• Women’s heatlth and Sport with Madeleine Pape and Dr Kat Okholm Kryger around Hayley Truskewycz
• Community led participation for impact and evaluation with Robyn Smith and Dr Oli Hooper
• Shaping the future of sport and gender equality with Elizabeth CJ Pike, Primrose Mhunduru, André Oliveira, Patrick Stolpmann around Francine Hetherington Raveney
A huge, huge, huge thank you to every speaker, partner, participant and supporter who helped make this event a success — especially those working every day across regions and sectors to build a more equal sport world.
This is only the beginning. The momentum is strong, the collaborations are growing and the commitment is clear
Let’s keep connecting for change.
More photos to come.
Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport (GO) is a global convenor and repository of research and expertise on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in and through physical education, physical activity and sport (PEPAS).
Building on the existing gender and sport movements across the world, we are dedicated to closing knowledge gaps and enabling actors to overcome global and systemic inequalities and inequities to advance the rights, health and empowerment of girls and women in all their diversity in and through PEPAS.
The GO is an international NGO based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Established in July 2021 with the support of UNESCO and the Swiss Confederation, the GO is an initiative originated from UNESCO’s 4th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS IV) in Athens, Greece, in 2003. The commitment to the GO was reinforced by the 2017 Kazan Action Plan (KAP) at MINEPS VI, in Kazan, Russia and further reaffirmed at MINEPS VII in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2023, with support from over 100 member states.
We need tangible data that can help with policy making and help the many poeple fighting for gender equality. Any change will meet constraints, but you don’t have to give up. We should collaborate with stakeholders; help align their interests and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal.
Felicite Rwemarika – President, Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport
Do you want to join our global network, collaborate with us or contribute data, publications, and expertise?
What does the Global Observatory aim to do?
The Global Observatory is committed to tackling the complex, systemic and intersecting inequalities encountered by women and girls in both sports and society.
Aligned with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda, the Observatory primarily focuses on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and especially Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Simultaneously we also contribute to:
News
Survey: Help Shape UNESCO’s Global Safe Sport Policy Standards
In collaboration with UNESCO’s Sport Section, the Sport & Rights Alliance is conducting a survey to gather the perspectives of impacted people on UNESCO’s Global Policy Standards for Inclusive, Equitable and Safe Sport and Physical Education. The purpose of this consultation is to ensure that people impacted by violence in sports are included in the development of the Global Policy Standards and coordinated safe sport efforts across UNESCO Member States.
Women`s World Rugby Cup 2025
With its unique blend of creativity and sport, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 title sequence sets a new benchmark in global sports broadcast design, underlining the tournament’s ambition to champion inclusivity, innovation, and women’s voices on and off the field.
GO and La trobe University Sign MoU
In collaboration with the GO, La Trobe’s experts will share knowledge with international policymakers, sport leaders, and advocacy networks, ensuring that rural and regional realities are translated into systemic change.
MoU Signed: GO and York University`s School of Kinesiology and Health Science
Through the MOU, the school will contribute its research, expertise and outreach to support shared goals with GO. York will contribute to the GO Advisory Council, expert groups as well as co-create research and advocacy initiatives.
Save the Date — International Conference on Women and Sport in Africa (CIFSA), 7 - 9 Dec 2025
From 7 to 9 December 2025, Dakar will host the International Conference on Women and Sport in Africa (CIFSA), organised by The Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sport of French-speaking Countries (CONFEJES).
The event will gather political and institutional leaders, elite athletes, experts, and advocates to address the barriers that limit women’s leadership in sport and to drive structural change.
York University: Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, Climate Action & Sustainable Development through Sport Symposium.
York University`s inaugural symposium that unites advocates, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to fostering a just and sustainable future through mobility and sport takes place on October 15th to 17th, 2025, in Toronto. Together, we will explore innovative solutions and share inspiring stories that promote mobility justice, gender equity, climate justice, and sustainable development. Registration and Submissions open.
Call for Content: IWG Women and Sport Global Summit 2026
The ninth edition of the IWG Global Summit will take place from the 9 – 11 July 2026 in Birmingham, West Midland, England. With five core themes of investment, leadership, innovation, visibility and participation guiding the programme, proposals for content to supplement the event are invited.
African Women in Sports Summit 2025
The African Women in Sports Summit 2025 will take place in Kampala, Uganda on 26 – 28 November 2025, bringing together leaders and change makers to advance gender equality in sport across the continent. This year’s theme focuses on gender equality and gender based violence in sport.
Research & Policy News
NEW FIFA Supplementary Edition on Women’s Football in Sports Medicine
FIFA has released a unique supplementary edition of Sports Medicine dedicated to women’s football. The collection links cutting-edge research with applied strategies to optimise the health, well-being, and performance of female footballers. It builds on initiatives such as the Women’s National Team Physical Preparation Programme and the Female Health Project, ensuring that evidence is translated into practical guidance and embedded in education and capacity-building worldwide. Access the collection here.
NEW UN Women Report: Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals – The Gender Snapshot 2025
UN Women and UN DESA has just produced the annual Gender Snapshot 2025 which provides the latest data and analysis on global progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a gender perspective. It highlights persistent gaps, emerging challenges, and opportunities to accelerate action for gender equality across all goals by 2030.
NEW Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The report “A world of sport free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” provides information on measures taken by States, sports associations and federations and other stakeholders against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in and through sports. The High Commissioner presents recommendations on achieving a world of sport free from those scourges.
The third edition of the Canadian Sport Policy (2025-2035) is now available
The Canadian Sport Policy helps identify Canadian sport priorities and guides how federal, provincial and territorial governments advance sport. It provides a shared framework for working together to ensure sport contributes positively to the lives of individuals, communities and the country.
New UN Women Guidance on GBV Data for LGBTQI+ Populations
UN Women has released a new guidance note on measuring gender-based violence (GBV) based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). The publication outlines key principles, data gaps, and ethical considerations for inclusive and rights-based data collection. A timely tool to strengthen evidence and inform policy responses for LGBTQI+ communities worldwide.
India Approves National Sports Policy 2025
Global Leaders Highlight Sport as a Catalyst for Gender Equality and Social Impact
Good Practice Stories
Have a quick read of stories from all across the world that collates qualitative case studies and research that captures the experiences of diverse stakeholders.
Shifting Norms: Kabaddi for Girls’ Empowerment in West Bengal
