European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO) and their Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee hosted a webinar on March 12 on Advancing Gender Equality in Sport, with Insights from signatories of Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

Developed and established by the International Working Group (IWG) Women & Sport in 1994, the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration is an international treaty that has become a roadmap for supporting the ongoing development of a fairer and more equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls. It has been designed to complement all sporting, local, national, and international charters, laws, codes, rules, and regulations relating to equity in sport and physical activity, whilst also setting an even higher benchmark for the full inclusion of women and girls in all aspects of society.

The webinar was moderated by Tarja Krum, Chair of the EWS Committee, welcoming the participants and facilitating the discussion.

Lisa O'Keefe MBE, Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport introduced the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration and why it is crucial for advancing gender equality.

Kaisa Larjomaa, Public Affairs Manager at the Finnish Olympic Committee and member of the ENGSO EU Advisory Committee shared the insights from Finland and introduced long-term efforts of the Finnish NOC in improving gender equality at all levels.

Maja Peković, Deputy Secretary General of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and Chair of its Gender Equality Commission presented the NOC’s reasons for recently signing the declaration and the work ahead to improve gender equality in Montenegro.

European University Sports Association (EUSA) participated at the webinar as well, is a proud signatory of the above-mentioned declaration on Women and Sport (signed in 2012), and is a strategic partner of ENGSO, engaging also in several projects and initiatives.

For more information about the Brighton+Helsinki Declaration, please see https://iwgwomenandsport.org/brighton-declaration/. For more information about ENGSO EWS, please see: https://engso.eu/about/committees/equality-within-sport-committee/.