EWS Committee
ENGSO at the 9th IWG Women & Sport Global Summit
The 9th IWG Women & Sport Global Summit was held from 9–11 July 2026 in Birmingham, UK, organised by Sport+ Recreation Alliance (ENGSO member) and IWG UK Secretariat. The ENGSO Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee led the European Continental Session, highlighting how commitments can be transformed into meaningful change for women and girls in sport.
At the Summit, ENGSO was represented by EWS Chair Tarja Krum, EWS Vice Chair Sarah Townsend and ENGSO Communication manager Polona Fonda.
Bringing together experts from European institutions, academia, sport organisations and civil society, the session explored how gender equality can move from policy to practice. Discussions focused on European policy frameworks and collaboration, the role of research and evidence, leadership and organisational change, practical implementation in sport, and community perspectives that foster inclusion and a sense of belonging.
The forum featured a keynote speech from Francine Raveney (Council of Europe – EPAS) presenting the research and work Council of Europe has been doing in the field of gender equality and sport, and a panel discussion featuring Madeleine Pape (University of Lausanne), Michelle Morgan (Cymru Women’s Sport), Eilidh McCall-Lawrie (Scottish Curling) and. Yvonne Henry (Women Win). The session was moderated by Sarah Townsend and Tarja Krum on behalf of the ENGSO Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee.
Through interactive discussions, participants exchanged experiences, shared promising practices, and reflected on how policies can be translated into meaningful action across diverse European contexts. The sessions explored both the opportunities and challenges of turning policy commitments into practical measures that respond to the realities of women and girls in sport.
While the insights generated will be analysed in greater depth, one clear and widely shared conclusion emerged: achieving gender equality in sport requires a stronger focus on the intersectionality of women’s needs and experiences. Participants emphasised that policies and initiatives must recognise how different factors intersect to shape women’s access to, participation in, and leadership within sport.
On the first day of the Summit, EWS Chair Tarja Krum presented ENGSO’s Sport4CERV project, highlighting how an intersectional approach can help us better understand the different barriers women face in grassroots sport. The presentation emphasised that women and girls are not one homogeneous group and that creating more inclusive sporting environments requires recognising the diversity of their experiences and identities.
As ENGSO’s representative on the IWG Global Executive for Europe, Tarja Krum also participated in the IWG Global Executive meeting, contributing to discussions on the future direction of the global network and ongoing international cooperation to advance gender equality in sport.
About the summit
The 9th IWG Women & Sport Global Summit was organised by the Sport+ Recreation Alliance, (ENGSO member). It brought together leaders, practitioners, researchers and changemakers from across the world to explore what it will take to move Beyond the Breakthrough for women and girls in sport and physical activity: iwgglobalsummit2026.org.
The summit was officially opened by Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Chair of the IWG UK Secretariat and Co-Chair of the Global Executive, alongside Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO Lisa Wainwright MBE and Yane Marques, Vice-President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB). During the opening session, Marques also invited delegates to attend the 10th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport, which will be held in Brazil in 2030.
As Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO Lisa Wainwright MBE noted, the summit gathered more than 950 delegates from 80 countries, united by a shared ambition to learn, challenge perspectives, build connections, and drive positive change.“32 years ago, in 1994, a phenomenal group of women gathered in Brighton with a bold vision: to create a global movement that would champion women in sport and drive lasting change. That vision became the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport, and since then it has inspired people and organisations across the world. Today, that movement comes home (UK). Today, 950 delegates and hundreds of speakers from across the globe gather in Birmingham, I feel immense pride—not because we’ve delivered an event, but because we’ve created another opportunity for people to learn from one another, challenge the status quo, build new partnerships & continue driving change for women & girls in sport.”
Built around five key themes—investment, leadership, innovation, participation, and visibility—the three-day programme featured plenary and shift sessions, bringing together speakers from across the sporting landscape, from senior leaders in international sport to grassroots changemakers driving positive impact within their communities.
Speakers included Kirsty Coventry OLY, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC); Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics; HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, IOC Executive Board Member and President of the Jordan Olympic Committee; and Professor Laura McAllister CBE, UEFA Vice-President, among many others. The full list of speakers can be found here.