Author: Taylor Green
Chair, SIGA Youth Council | Member, SIGA Council | Member, SIGA Permanent Committee on Gender, Race, Inclusion & Diversity (GRID)
“I come as one, but stand as ten thousand” – Maya Angelou
I was reminded of this powerful quote during the panel on Athlete Activism: Combining Passion and Performance with Purpose thanks to Batouly Camara, founder of Women and Kids Empowerment (WAKE). I had the pleasure of meeting Batouly during the inaugural SIGA Youth Forum while speaking on a panel discussing Sport with Values: Gender, Race, Inclusion, and Diversity. As a testament to the enduring nature of relationships fostered through SIGA, I was heartened to see her once again sharing the importance of gender equity in sports across the globe.
Ambition remains a word with a stigma to it. Much like the word feminist, it can be weaponized against women who refuse to suppress their brilliance within archaic confines or sexist standards. The Summit on Female Leadership in Sport commenced with Global Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, SIGAWomen, Katie Simmonds, resetting the scenes with collective ownership of the word ambition, followed by a Summit embracing equity and the power of unapologetically ambitious women.
“Collaboration is the new competition” – Lyzz Ogunwo
A common thread that was apparent throughout the Summit was the multitude of ways sisterhood is a connective tissue that transcends boundaries and breaks barriers. Despite the competitive nature of sports, achieving gender equity, particularly in leadership positions, relies on sharing best practices, amplifying the achievements of women in sports, and ensuring the cause of gender equity includes all.
In her CTA (call to action), Bonnie Bernstein urged all attendees, whether in person or virtually, to share the knowledge gained throughout the Summit and apply it to our efforts for a more gender-equitable sports world. That requires action! The key takeaways that I will share and apply are the actionable ways in which we can, will, and must do to enact change. From utilizing data to optimize the commercialization and visibility of women’s sports to reframing the narrative on fashion in sports from ornamental to a functional performance tool. I will also use my voice to address the structural barriers that often prevent access to sports as well as the ways in which gender inequities intersect with marginalized groups.
“This is a moment where we have to pick sides, we have to make options, and we have to be accounted for” – Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros
Just as President Reagan galvanized Americans in his 1964 speech, “A Time for Choosing”, SIGA Global CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, issued a clarion call to not view his closing remarks as the end of the Summit, but rather as renewed motivation to continue to fight for a more gender equitable world in sport. On behalf of the SIGA Youth Council, we thank M&T Bank and SIGA Founding Member, Mastercard for their commitment to gender equity. Lastly, a special thank you to my mentor, Alison Giordano, Senior Vice President, Global Sponsorships and Consumer Marketing at Mastercard for her tireless commitment to supporting women in sport, to my fellow Youth Council members for their enthusiasm, and to SIGA for its unequivocal support of gender equity across all levels of sport.
Related stories:
* Women Remain Underrepresented in Sports Leadership, Despite Some Progress – SIGA survey
* Summit on Female Leadership: From Good Governance to Youth Development – morning wrap-up
* Summit on Female Leadership: Mentorship, Women Football, Fashion & Male Allies
* “Gender Equity in Sport is not a women’s issue” – SIGA CEO says there is no room for neutrality
* Debbie Hewitt champions Mentorship to promote Female Leadership in Sport
* SIGA Summit on Female Leadership in Sport: Behind-the-scenes
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world´s leading organisation for Sports Integrity. Supported by more than 200 international multi-industry supporters, we are creating a whole new landscape for the global sports industry by promoting the implementation of the highest integrity standards and delivering independent global rating and certification for Sport.
Funded by its members, SIGA is the only organisation to bring together all key stakeholder groups – Sport, Government, International Organisations, Global Business and Civil Society – from every region in the world, around one critical, fundamental Cause: to foster greater Integrity throughout Sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for profit association, funded by its members, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
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: comms@siga-sport.com.