Exciting events, informative initiatives and a historic sports treaty signing - Women in Sport Week kicks off
Today (Monday, March 3rd) Sport Ireland marks the start of Women in Sport Week by announcing it is to sign the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, reinforcing its commitment to women in sport through the Women in Sport Programme.
The Brighton plus Helsinki declaration is an international treaty developed by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport. It is a road map to support the development of a more fair and equitable system of sport and physical activity, fully inclusive of women and girls. Over 600 organisations around the world have signed it, including the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport.
Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said: “I’m delighted to see such a full and vibrant week of activities planned for Women in Sport Week. It’s such an important week for raising awareness of the supports and opportunities on offer and how important female participation is for Irish sport.
“Back when I was Minister of State in this Department, developing and supporting Women in Sport was a key focus of mine. We published the National Sports Policy 2018–2027 during my tenure and I am delighted to be back now as the Cabinet Minister for Sport for the next Policy development.
“The progress that has been made in the intervening years has been brilliant to see, and now we’re seeing our female athletes excel on the world stage. I look forward to continuing to drive progress for Women in Sport.”
Minister of State with special responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue said: “Women in Sport Week is a fantastic opportunity to both celebrate and promote female participation in sport. Women and girls are vital to a vibrant sporting culture whether that be through active participation or donating their own time through volunteering.
“My thanks to Sport Ireland for organising a full and engaging week of activities that will raise awareness of the opportunities and supports that exist for women and girls in Ireland. It is my sincere hope that we continue to see more progress for female sport in the years to come.”
Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “Women in Sport Week recognises the achievements of women in sports and raises awareness of our programmes designed to promote gender equality and increase female participation at all levels.
“We’re delighted to be able to increase visibility for women in sport and highlight initiatives that support female participation, leadership, and overall involvement in sports at all levels. It’s great that for this, the fifth anniversary of Women in Sport Week, we’re going to sign the Brighton plus Helsinki declaration.”
IWG secretary general Lisa O’Keefe MBE said: “We are looking forward to working with Sport Ireland to further highlight their push towards gender equality.”
Women in Sport Week
Each day is organised along a different theme and there are numerous events taking place nationwide to mark the week.
Monday, March 3rd - Visibility
Women in Sport Week kicks off with Sport Ireland and its stakeholders highlighting the achievements of female athletes, leaders and volunteers. Increasing the visibility of women’s sport and women in sport is a pillar objective under the Sport Ireland Policy on Women in Sport.
Tuesday, March 4th - Coaching
Webinar: Coaching the Female Athlete. Sporting experts explore knowledge gaps in relation to female athletes and discuss coaching opportunities and solutions. 8-9pm. Register here.
Wednesday, March 5th - Her Moves
Webinar: Her Moves - Supporting Teenage Girls in Sport. Designed for teenage girls, but equally suitable for coaches, teachers and parents, this webinar will cover some of the key challenges that girls experience in sport, including menstruation and body image. Schools can register here (11am-12pm); You can register for the later webinar here (7.30-8.30pm) here.
Thursday, March 6th - Officiating
Webinar: Breaking Barriers - Women in Officiating. A look at some of the challenges, achievements, and future opportunities for women officiating in sport. It will feature invaluable guidance on how to get started in officiating. 8-9pm. Register here.
Friday March 7th - Leadership & Governance
Accelerate Action event on the Sport Ireland Campus. 100 leaders from across the Irish Sport Sector will gather to mark a milestone moment for Sport Ireland: the signing of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, an international treaty developed by the International Working Group on Women and Sport.
Saturday March 8th - International Women’s Day
Sport Ireland and parkrun Ireland are marking International Women’s Day during Women in Sport Week by encouraging women and girls to head to their local parkrun on Saturday March 8th to walk, jog, run or volunteer.
Sunday March 9th - Active Participation
This is a day for women to embrace Women in Sport Week by getting active in whatever way they want. For ideas about ways to be active in your area check out Get Ireland Active, Ireland’s most comprehensive activity, sport and recreation website.
Social media
Follow and use the hashtags #Womeninsportire and #accelerateaction
About Her Moves
Her Moves is a Sport Ireland initiative designed to inspire and support more teenage girls to be active. It's about empowering all young women, building confidence and providing motivation to find something that gets you moving. This is a community for all teenage girls to join and find something that moves them.