In recent days, the third IF Gender Equality in the Leadership Forum was held in Lausanne, an important session in which more than 30 International Federations (IF) and more than 100 participants took part on the issue of gender equality at the leadership level.

The focus of this year’s edition was on the IOC Gender Equality Project findings and recommendations, the sharing of best practices and new solutions to improve gender equality in sports leadership. In particular, the participants discussed the topics of electoral processes, gender-neutral portrayal and meaningful inclusion in decision-making roles.

ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan contributed to the debate; he underlined how, despite the complexity of different situations in terms of history, culture and geography, all the Federations are applying the recommendations on gender equality aimed at improving and optimizing processes and organizational activities, and the IOC President Thomas Bach explained what the IOC is doing to increase the number of women in decision-making positions, particularly in their own commissions.

The World Skate President Sabatino Aracu, present at the Forum, says he is very satisfied with how the programs are proceeding and expresses the most complete support for the project of the IOC's Gender Equality Review, stressing with pride how World Skate has already started for some years a policy of recognition of gender equality, with a management mainly made up of women, and launching an awareness campaign addressed to all National Federations affiliated to World Skate so that they can immediately follow the new directions, according to the path, now essential, undertaken in these years.

Pic: Courtesy of Philippe Wood for IOC