Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Women in Sport Aotearoa
8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport to launch at a live digital event, officially taking its place as one of the “big four” women’s sports events coming to Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021 – 2023
– LIVE DIGITAL LAUNCH: Friday, 4 September 2020, 12.30pm – 2.00pm NZT
Featuring:
– A live opening from the Hon Grant Robertson, New Zealand Minister for Sport & Recreation.
– A recorded keynote address from leading sports administrator, Raelene Castle ONZM(Ngāpuhi).
– A live panel discussion with audience Q&A moderated by former New Zealand Black Ferns rugby player and TV host Melodie Robinson (Ngāi Tahu) and featuring the Hon Grant Robertson, along with new Captain of the White Ferns cricket team, Sophie Devine, and Haylee Putaranui (Ngāti Maniapoto), Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Fonterra, one of New Zealand’s largest businesses.
– A live closing from HE Hon Patricia Forsythe AM, Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Content available for media use after 2.00pm, Friday 4 September 2020:
– 1.40sec and 60sec versions of the “Changes Inspires Change” launch film (in various formats).
– Full recording of the 90min live launch event and components as needed (i.e. Raelene Castle).
– Creative assets and graphics from the “Change Inspires Change” campaign (i.e. official logos).
Thursday, 3 September 2020: White Ferns captain Sophie Devine and former Black Fern Melodie Robinson will headline the live digital launch of the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport this Friday 4 September, alongside Minister for Sport & Recreation, the Hon Grant Robertson, and leading sports administrator, Raelene Castle ONZM. The new ‘Change Inspires Change’ campaign will also debut officially. 500 people from Aotearoa and around the world are already registered to attend.
The live digital launch will be delivered by Women in Sport Aotearoa in partnership with Trans-Tasman Business Circle SportsConnect. It will mark the start of the journey toward and beyond the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Auckland and online, between 5-8 May 2022. The launch will see the IWG World Conference officially take its place as one of the “big four” women’s sports events coming to Aotearoa between 2021 – 2023, alongside the World Cups in rugby, cricket and football.
The International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport is the largest professional network in the world dedicated to achieving gender equality in sport and physical activity. The IWG World Conference is the biggest worldwide gathering of experts in the field, attracting over 1,200+ leaders quadrennially. Every four years since 1994, the IWG Secretariat & World Conference has moved to a new host nation. Aotearoa is hosting it between 2018 – 2022, with Women in Sport Aotearoa as official delivery agent. Women in Sport Aotearoa in turn is supported by an array of partners, friends and allies, and is particularly grateful to Sport New Zealand; ATEED; Tourism NZ; and the Trans – Tasman Business Circle.
Following opening and keynote addresses from the Hon Grant Robertson and Raelene Castle ONZM, the ‘Change Inspires Change’ campaign will debut with a short film. This new campaign is all about empowering the individual to make positive change for women and girls in sport and physical activity worldwide. The concept follows a simple premise: “every change you make, no matter how small or large, inspires the next, and the next. By sharing your story, you can help inspire others to make change.” This will be followed by a live moderated panel discussion, exploring the stories of panellists including the Minister, Sophie Devine and Haylee Putaranui, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Fonterra.
Rachel Froggatt, Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport and Chief Executive of Women in Sport Aotearoa, said: “For the first time in its long history, the IWG World Conference on Women & Sport will be a full physical-digital hybrid event. We know women and girls are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 across all parts of society. We are launching ‘Change Inspires Change’ to help unify the sport and physical activity community in support of women and girls. We are encouraging people working all around the world to share their stories of change inspiring change with us online now, to help us along the journey toward and beyond Auckland 2022.”
Raelene Castle ONZM is one of Australasia’s most well-known sports administrators. She joined Rugby Australia as the code’s first female CEO, beginning in the role in January 2018 and recently stepping down. She was previously the CEO of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, where she spent four years leading the National Rugby League club. Prior to that she had six years as CEO of Netball New Zealand.
Raelene Castle ONZM, said: “I am pleased to have provided a keynote address to support the launch of ‘Change Inspires Change’. We certainly live in a very different world these days, thanks to COVID-19. The system has taken a significant shock worldwide. Now, more than ever, we must be focussed to ensure that women and girls do not go without. A campaign such as this, which harnesses the power of digital storytelling to share wisdom and learnings around the world is very compelling and timely.”
New Zealand Minister for Sport & Recreation, the Hon Grant Robertson, will also address participants. The Minister is an avid sports fan and champion for ‘women in sport’. At the beginning of his tenure, he stated that positive change for women and girls in sport and active recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand was his number one priority. Since then he has supported change across the sector, launching the ‘Women & Girls in Sport & Active Recreation’ strategy, with Sport NZ committing a $10 million investment in response to target initiatives to enable more women and girls to realise their potential.
