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By : Ina Neef
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19 - 22 May 1998, Windhoek, Namibia
The 2nd World Conference on Women and Sport was attended by 370 delegates from 74 countries. A very wide variety of sports was represented at the Conference - from athletics through boxing to air sports.
Following the 1st World Conference held in Brighton, the aim of this second conference was to :
- Advance sport as a strategy for addressing global issues affecting women.
- Exchange good practice and lessons learned since Brighton.
- Strengthen international, regional and national networks.
- Build action plans for effecting change.
Workshops held included:
- Sharing Experiences:
- Physical education
- Participation
- Elite athletes
- Leadership
- Health / Medical
- Sports Organisations
- Research
- Disability
- Global Issues:
- Family
- Cultural development
- Human rights
- Health
- Technology
- Education
- Strategy for Action:
- International Federations
- Women's Sport Organisations
- Multi-Sport Games
- National Olympic Committees
- Government
Keynote speakers addressing conference included:
- Ms Anita DeFrantz, Vice President, International Olympic Committee (IOC);
- Prof. Dr. Gudrun Doll-Tepper, President, International Council of Sport, Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE);
- Dr Anita White, Director of Development, English Sports Council
- Raija Mattila, Finland Chair, Committee for the Development of Sport, Council of Europe;
- Erica Terpstra, Minister of Sport, Netherlands;
- Prof. Margaret Talbot, International Association for Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women;
- Libby Darlison, Secretary-General, Women Sport International;
- Dr Awoture Eleyae, Secretary-General, Supreme Council for Sport in Africa;
- Dr Patricia Flor, Chairperson, UN Commission on Status of Women.
Vast progress was made and numerous successes achieved in the period 1994 to 1998. Most importantly, the Brighton Declaration of the International Working Group on Women and Sport was adopted by over 200 organisations throughout the world.
The International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG):
The IWG is an informal, co-ordinating body consisting of government and key non-government organisations with the objectives of promoting and facilitating the development of opportunities for girls and women in sport and physical activity throughout the world. The IWG further acts as catalyst for existing agencies and encourages effective advocacy on behalf of women and girls.
The Brighton Declaration:
The overriding aim is to develop a sporting culture that enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport.
The principles set out in the Declaration aim at:
- ensuring that all women and girls have the opportunity to participate in sport in a safe and supportive environment which preserves the rights, dignity and respect of the individual;
- increasing the involvement of women in sport at all levels and in all functions and roles;
- ensuring that the knowledge, experiences and values of women contribute to the development of sport;
- promoting the recognition of women's involvement in sport as a contribution to public life, community development and in building a healthy nation;
- promoting the recognition by women of the intrinsic value of sport and its contribution to personal development and healthy lifestyle.
The Principles of the Declaration addresses the following issues:
- Equity and Equality in Society and Sport
- Facilities
- School and Junior Sport
- Developing Participation
- High Performance Sport
- Leadership in Sport
- Education, Training and Development
- Sports Information and Research
- Resources
- Domestic and International Cooperation.
Moving on from Windhoek
The Windhoek Call for Action formulated at the conference is addressed to all those national and international sport organisations, men and women, governments, public authorities, development agencies, organisations, businesses, educational and research institutions, women's organisations and individuals, who are responsible for, or who directly or indirectly influence the conduct, development or promotion of sport, who are in any way involved in the employment, education, management, training, development or care of women and sport.
In addition to re-affirming the principles of the Brighton Declaration, conference calls for action in the following areas:
- Develop action plans to implement the principles of the Brighton Declaration, with objectives and targets, and monitor and report upon their implementation.
- Develop strategies that reach beyond the current boundaries of the sport sector.
- Promote the positive contribution that women's involvement in sport makes to inter alia social, health and economic issues.
- Undertake actions that will build the capacity of women in terms of leadership and decision-making, and ensure that the contribution is recognised and visible.
- Address the "world crisis in physical education".
- Encourage the media to positively portray and significantly cover the breadth, depth, quality and benefits of women's involvement in sport.
- Develop strategies and action plans that will ensure a safe and supportive environment for women participating in sport at all levels and will address issues such as sexual harassment and abuse, violence and exploitation of women in sport.
- Ensure that sport policies and programs provide opportunities for all women in full recognition of the differences and diversity among women, and their particular sporting interest.
- Recognize the importance of governments to sport development and urge them to develop appropriate legislation, public policy and funding that ensures gender equality in all aspects of sport.
- Ensure that Official Development Assistance programs provide equal opportunities for girls' and women's development.
- Encourage more women to become researchers in sport, and more research to be undertaken which specifically relates to women in sport.
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and Women in Air Sports
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale was one of thirteen International Federations to have adopted the Brighton Declaration to date. This was done at the 88th FAI Annual General Conference held in South Africa in 1994.
The FAI has a unique situation in relation to women in airsport. Although research will be necessary to determine the exact situation of women in airsport, gender equality is generally practiced throughout in all disciplines of airsport. Although more men might have practiced airsport historically, women became very involved in recent years. Unfortunately no statistics on the percentage of women partaking in air sport could be found - which only emphasises the principle of gender equality in the FAI!
Good Practices
Conference presented a venue for sharing good practices. These are practices employed by organisations and which are in line with the principles and aims of the Brighton Declaration.
Good practices not only address the issue of gender equality per se; much more are involved. It circles into the realms of the family and school environments, physical education, discrimination against handicapped persons and persons of different races. Education, research, technology, medical issues and networking are also part of the global picture.
The FAI already has established international commissions, committees and working groups addressing virtually every aspect discussed at the conference.
More than half the world population is female. The adage then that a happy mother builds a nation takes on a new and very important meaning!
Listed herewith are some of the good practices of the FAI, which were shared with delegates at the conference:
- Gender Equality in Publications:
Several documents of the FAI were perused, from statutes through several publications of the Air Sport International magazine. Unless specifically referring to a certain person, no gender specific references could be found.
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Education:
The FAI International Aerospace Education Commission (CIEA) introduces and oversees various programs and projects to bring awareness of air sport to education.
The FAI has numerous examples of educational programs which are not only restricted to certain geographical areas or specific areas of interest, but reaches beyond national borders. The prime example is of course the Young Artists' Contest that takes place annually, covers all aspects of air sports and encourages all children to enter. It is very evident when looking through the lists of winner of this contest that there are a large percentage of girls winning in the various age categories!
Other programs include the Young Eagles, Adopt a Pilot and Vulindlela programs, as well as museums, to name but a few. The South African Vulindlela project probably deserves a special mention, as this project has taken airsport right to the hearts of children (and adults) of all races and backgrounds, covering a wide spectrum of socio-economic environments.
The FAI educational programs are furthermore excellent examples of promoting family involvement. As the mother is traditionally the person to be more involved in the activities of the children, this is indirectly also educational to females all over the world.
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Awards - Medals and Diplomas:
Air sport is one of the few sporting activities that is mainly practiced non-commercially. One of the concerns of conference was that females are awarded less prize money than their male counterparts. Although this situation does not exist in the FAI, the awarding of medals and diplomas can be used for comparison. In the by-laws, where eligibility for awards or diplomas is described, no distinction is made as to the gender of a recipient. If a person fulfills the criteria as set out, he or she will receive the award.
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Health / Medical:
The FAI International Medico-Physiological Commission (CIMP) is actively involved in research, draws on specialist advice from Medical Institutions and advise pilots on medical and physiological aspects.
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Representation on Committees:
With the exception of a few of the international commissions, females generally hold a position on committees. The lack of more international female representation on committees can most probably be attributed to the fact that women have not yet made themselves sufficiently available and lobbying for such positions, rather than not being accepted into such committees.
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Participation:
Research will be required in order to determine whether there are any discriminatory practices against females in air sport. However, the attitude normally encountered is that of respect from the males for women practicing an air sport together with support and encouragement for women to grow and excel in their sport.
In all probability, it would be found that it is a factor of the general public discouraging women to participate in air sport.
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Records:
The issue of records seems to be sport-specific. Record categories should be formulated depending on the type of sport practiced. In certain sports where the physical abilities of an athlete are of importance, separate categories for men and women will be necessary. In sports where the physique does not play a vital role, but rather psyche and the equipment used, only a general category should be in place.
The FAI has a host of categories in the various disciplines. However, discarding gender specific categories have already come under discussion.
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Networking / International affiliations:
The FAI has an excellent system of networking. Interaction exists on international, regional and national level. The structure of the FAI is such that dissemination of information takes place on a big scale.
The FAI further has affiliation to a vast number of international organisations, institutes and federations, including: International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Europe Airsports, International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (IAOPA), General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), Conseil Internationale du Sport Militaire (CISM), Organisation Scientifique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV), International Air Cadet Exchange Association (IACEA) and International Olympic Committee (IOC).
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Technology:
Various technical sub-committees and technical forums in all aspects of air sport are doing ongoing research and development. The technological
advances made and research done in a wide range of aspects not only contribute to the promotion of safe air sport, but the application of such
developments can and are being used in promoting better life and goodwill in a global sense.
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Family:
Several disciplines of air sport are practiced in a manner whereby the whole family can be involved, either through all family members actively participating in the sport, or where family members act as the support crew for the pilot. In many cases, support activities can eventually lead to full participation in the sport as well as involvement in the sport on an administrative basis.
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Conclusion:
The FAI adopted the Brighton Declaration in 1994. The 2nd World Conference on Women in Sport called for action to ensure that the principles of the Declaration be implemented.
Proposal: That the FAI calls to life a working group for Women in Air Sport.
Purpose of the working group:
- Research and gather information on the position of women in air sports
- Monitor implementation of and maintaining the principles of the Brighton Declaration
- Establish a forum where women's specific problems can be addressed
Envisaged tasks for such group:
- Research and gather information on the status of women in airsport, with emphasis on equal opportunities and harassment free environments.
- Ensure that statutes of commissions, working groups, NAC's, etc. are non-discriminatory.
- Encourage women to take active part in leadership and decision making roles. Mentoring can be introduced to prepare them for such positions. Women can make invaluable contributions - make use of their qualities.
- Ensure that media coverage is unbiased, that female participation is included and that reports are non-sexist and not exploiting any one of the sexes.
- Encourage and develop programs for family participation.
- Ensure that funding is equally distributed for the benefit of both males and females in practicing their sport.
Members of the working group need not exclusively be females.
Women in airsport are generally very fortunate in that their male counterparts would most probably welcome them with open arms into higher positions within the organisation. Women taking leadership and decision making roles have begun, and should continue, to evolve naturally.
The onus lies with women participating in air sport to "take the plane by the wings" and fly!
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