Brighton Declaration sets out the principles for equality -What happens after that?

This autumn we have added six more signatories to the Brighton Declaration. The latest signatories are from Russia and Mexico. We are very delighted about these developments and also very grateful to all those people who have contributed to making it a reality.

After signing the Brighton Declaration the question that we often get is: “What should we do next?” After agreeing with the principles on the Brighton Declaration action needs to follow in order to bring those principles alive. Luckily, there are some very useful tools that have been developed that can be used in realizing this important work.

One valuable resource is the legacy of the 3rd IWG World Conference on Women and Sport 2002, the Montreal Tool Kit. This tool kit is a reference manual that contains 20 tools to help signatories in their endeavors in overcoming challenges to bring about change in their own community, organization, region or nation.

The IPC Women in Sport Leadership Tool kit, which was released in October 2010, is another practical resource for those looking to empower women in sports organizations, especially when it comes to the paralympic sports movement.

I would also like to emphasize the importance of networking and mentoring, which have very important roles to play within the process of bridging between women’s basic participation in sport and realizing their leadership potential.

And last but not least: remember to monitor your progress. It is an essential element in order to know how your organisation is developing. Furthermore, share your advances with everyone!

Raija Mattila, IWG Co-Chair 2010-2014