The Advancing Women in Leadership Forum for Africa and Asia will be held in Kigali from 9th to 11th August, 2017.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has chosen Rwanda to host the Advancing Women in Leadership Forum for Africa and Asia 2017. The IOC was created more than a century ago with the goal of making a contribution to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind, and harnessing the power of sport at the service of humanity”.
Traditionally, women were not allowed to participate in the Games, which were exclusively for men. Times have changed, and the IOC has played an important role in establishing a positive trend to enhance women’s participation in sport. Over the last 20 years, the IOC has been advocating for the participation of women at all levels, encouraging National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs) to enhance the presence of women in sport.
For a number of years, the OIC has sponsored a series conferences thus creating forums for women in leadership in various countries with the goal of expanding the women-in-sport network. These conferences provide unique opportunities for sports federations to share best practices and effective strategies for increasing the number of women in leadership roles.
Why Rwanda to host The Advancing Women in Leadership Forum for Africa and Asia 2017:
Rwanda has been a world leader in having the highest number of women in parliament. In addition, there has been increased political will to promote the participation of women sports and through this support the NOC has registered a number of successes since 2012 namely; 30% of women representation in the executive committee, increased numbers of women coaches, female international referees, CAF women instructors, increased participation in Olympic games.
Above all, in 2016, The IOC Women and Sports Trophy for Africa was won by a Rwandan woman who is the current First Vice President of Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee, Madam RWEMALIKA Félicité.
More specifically in Rwanda, women sport has been used by women as a tool for unity and reconciliation following the aftermath of the genocide and it became a forum for conversations on important social issues such as HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, poverty eradication via creation of income generation activities etc.
It is expected that the following personalities will attend:
- The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), THOMAS Bach.
- The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees, member of the International Olympic Committee, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah.
- The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Ivorian National Olympic Committee and President of the African Judo Union, The Intendant General Lassana Palenfo.
- The Member of the Executive Committee and vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, Nawal El Moutawakel.
- IOC member and FIFA Executive Committee, Chairperson of the International Women’s Committee of the International Olympic Committee and current President of the National Olympic Committee of Burundi, Madam Lydia Nsekera.
To host this event, It will be an opportunity to promote the grassroots movement for women in sports development through out the country, the image and visibility of Rwanda to the rest of the World.