Inspiring, intense, transformative, and rich in insights from World Class industry leaders. Day 1 of the #SIGAWomen Summit on Female Leadership started with a challenge: are we ready to leave the comfort zone, to ask the unasked questions; say the untold words; shape our biased minds? It’s time to do it. Now or never. For women of the present and for girls who aspire to a fair world and a better life than their mothers and grandmothers lived in.
“If sport wants to lead and wants to inspire, to be a beacon of hope, it must lead by example. I ask you my friends, how can sport fulfil its mission if we look at the highest executive organs of international sports federations and we see female leadership reduced to insignificant 17,8 per cent? Women are at least 50 per cent of the human population. Is this the best we can do?”
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, SIGA’s Global CEO set the tone for the first day of an event organised by SIGA, and hosted by Mastercard at their Technology Hub in Manhattan, New York. Hundreds of attendees, some in-person, most via live streaming, followed the keynotes, fireside chats, and panels. The message they all got was clear.
“This Summit is a celebration of the women that are already in senior leadership positions and an invitation asking them to pave the way.
Join the movement of change-makers. Leave your legacy. Be an agent of change.” In three sentences, using a few words, Katie Simmonds, SIGA’s Global COO, and #SIGAWomen managing director summoned the outcome of the discussions held yesterday. Noticeably, she did it while setting the scenes, and all the following speakers have shown why they were invited: because they are, already, agents of change.
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Following Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros’ early words, Katie Simmonds also focused on gender equity: “The change we are seeking on the topic of gender equity ultimately relates to the composition of the board of sports organizations to ensure gender equity and greater diversity and inclusion. This is a key component of our mission and is on our agenda 365 days a year.”
Click to download the complete #SIGAWomen Female Leadership in Sport Event Guide
Watch Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros opening speech
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world´s largest coalition in the field of sport´s governance and integrity. Supported by more than 100 international multi-industry supporters, SIGA is an independent and neutral organisation whose mission is to bring about meaningful reforms and enhance the integrity of all sports through a set of universal standards operated by an independent and neutral body. SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
Click on the hyperlinks for the list of SIGA Members and Committed Supporters and SIGA Partners.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com.
To contact SIGA, please email: [email protected].