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Women in Football has become a signatory of the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration on Women and Sport – an important international treaty in support of gender equality in sport and physical activity.

The declaration was officially endorsed on behalf of WIF by CEO Yvonne Harrison at last week’s Women in Football Be Inspired Conference in partnership with Barclays.

The declaration is administered by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, whose Secretary General, Lisa O’Keefe MBE, was in attendance at Be Inspired to oversee the signing and confirm WIF’s membership of the network.

Yvonne said: "As Women in Football continues to grow in influence and visibility, and as the need becomes ever more apparent for action to eliminate gender-based discrimination from the game, now is the perfect moment for WIF to sign the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

"While this is an important symbolic act, it will have real benefits for women working in football. The network of organisations we're joining is a world-leading forum for sharing knowledge and best practice, where we can advance the concerns and insights of our members and become even more effective at working towards a gender-equal future for the game."

The signing of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration took place immediately after the conference’s opening address by Yvonne.

 

 

Lisa said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Women in Football as the latest signatory of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration.

“Women in Football work tirelessly to improve women’s representation at all levels of the game. From their successful advocacy work to their extensive event programme, to their renowned leadership courses, they are a great example of how to make change.

“As the global network of networks, it’s brilliant the IWG have connected with the Women in Football network and to have the opportunity to share their impactful work on a global scale.”

Be Inspired 2025 was the fourth annual conference of Women in Football and brought together more than 500 delegates at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday 26 March. As well as a series of networking slots, the event featured panels, workshops and keynotes covering a huge range of issues around gender equality in football, with star speakers including Emma Hayes OBE and Eni Aluko MBE.

Since its publication in 1994 the Brighton Declaration has been signed by almost 600 organisations across six continents, including FIFA, UK Sport, UK Athletics and the International Olympic Committee.

Its 10 principles are designed to address the major issues and barriers facing women and girls in sport and physical activity, and guide organisations through making real and lasting systemic change.

Read about the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration on the IWD website

 

Ten principles of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration Equity and equality in society and sport Facilities School and youth sport Developing participation High-performance sport Leadership in sport Education, training and development Sport information and research Resources Domestic and international co-operation

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