With a powerful and unequivocal appeal, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) used the Summit on Female Leadership in Sport – Brazil Edition to urge the global sports industry to face an uncomfortable truth: the playing field remains uneven, and the pace of change far too slow.
“Are we truly where we should be?” asked SIGA’s Global CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, in his opening address. “How many clubs, federations, or confederations are led by women? How many women hold real decision-making power, beyond symbolic committees? Are we doing everything in our power to change this?”
These are not rhetorical questions. They are a call to action — a challenge to confront the status quo and act with urgency and integrity.
Held in São Paulo and co-organised by SIGA LATIN AMERICA, the Summit was hosted by leading law firm Pinheiro Neto Advogados, with Record News as Media Partner and Octagon Latam as Social Media Partner. It brought together more than 30 leaders from sport, government, business, and civil society to explore structural barriers to female leadership and, most importantly, the concrete reforms required to break them down.
Katie Simmonds, SIGA’s Global Chief Commercial Officer and Chair of the SIGAWomen Council, opened the event with a personal message about exclusion, perseverance, and transformation.
“I realised we needed to stop waiting for a seat at the table,” she said. “We needed to build our own — and bring more chairs for others.” That vision inspired the SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme, now mobilising more than 150 women mentors in over 50 countries.
In line with SIGA’s core pillars, the Summit featured a series of panels focused on good governance, mentorship, cultural transformation, and business integrity.
Panel 1, moderated by André Megale (SIGA LATIN AMERICA), brought together Chantal Pillet (Kroll), Mariana Chamelette (Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva), and Graciela Garay (CONMEBOL) to share real-life experiences of female leadership in male-dominated structures and to reflect on the institutional reforms needed to create meaningful change, beyond symbolic gestures.
Panel 2, moderated by Christina Massis (São Paulo FC), showcased the global impact of the SIGAWomen Mentorship Programme. Cecilia Pérez Rivas, Jaqueline Oliveira, and Maria Vianna spoke about the critical role mentorship plays in building leadership capacity and confidence among women in sport.
In a heartfelt fireside chat, Flavia Arantes do Nascimento spoke with journalist Marília Ruiz about the legacy of her father, Pelé — not only as a football legend but as a symbol of resilience and social impact.
Panel 3, moderated by Bianca Molina (TNT Sports), examined the rising visibility of women’s competitions, with Kin Saito (FPF), Cristiane Kajiwara (CBFA), Rafaela Esteves (Corinthians), and Paula Ojeda (AFA) exploring how momentum can translate into sustainability and structural reform.
With Brazil set to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, Panel 4 focused on the long-term potential of the event. Milene Domingues, Roberta Michel, Camila Estefano, and Olga Bagatini (UN Women Brazil) called for public policy coordination and joint efforts from federations, government, and global institutions to ensure the tournament delivers a meaningful legacy for women’s sport in Brazil.
In a dynamic fireside chat moderated by Katie Simmonds, Mauro Silva (FPF) and Roberto Armelin (São Paulo FC) discussed the vital role of male allies in transforming culture and pushing for shared power. Their testimonies were both honest and action-oriented, offering a roadmap for male leaders committed to inclusion.
Panel 5, moderated by Natalia Lugero (Pinheiro Neto Advogados), addressed the commercial potential of women’s sport. Loraine Ricino (CPB), Marina Fagali (Chilliz), and Ana Helena Szasz Barone (Alpargatas) explored how brands and broadcasters can move beyond symbolic support to long-term investment strategies that reflect the value of the women’s game.
In her closing statement, Katie Simmonds reinforced the depth and seriousness of SIGA’s commitment:
“We are not a marketing campaign. We are not a one-off initiative. We are creating a legacy — one of action, one of inclusion, and one of real leadership.”
To conclude the Summit, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros offered five words to guide the next chapter:
“- Inconformism — We will not concede, compromise, or give up.
– Hope — Fueled by the tangible progress we are making together.
– Legacy — Nothing matters if we talk a lot and do little.
– Courage — To stand for what is right, even when it’s uncomfortable.
– Responsibility — Because change must be done — and we are the ones who must do it.”
ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
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.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: [email protected].
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