The 1st IWG World Conference, Brighton 1994, took place in the UK and provided the foundation for the Movement.
Since then, the global IWG Secretariat – the administrative function – has shifted every four years.
Since 1994, IWG Conference cities and Secretariat host nations have included:
- Brighton, UK (Conference 1994; Secretariat 1994-1998) + Windhoek, Namibia (Conference 1998)
- Montreal, Canada (Secretariat 1998 – 2002; Conference 2002)
- Kumamoto, Japan (Secretariat 2002 – 2006; Conference 2006)
- Sydney, Australia (Secretariat 2006 – 2010; Conference 2010)
- Helsinki, Finland (Secretariat 2010 – 2014; Conference 2014)
- Gabarone, Botswana (Secretariat 2014 – 2018; Conference 2018)
- CURRENT – Auckland, New Zealand (Secretariat 2018 – 2022; Conference 2022)
- UPCOMING – London & Birmingham, United Kingdom (Secretariat 2022 – 2026; Conference 2026)
Current Host, IWG Secretariat & Conference 2018 – 2022: New Zealand
Following a competitive bid in 2018, New Zealand won the right to become an international host nation for IWG Secretariat & Conference 2018 – 2022.
Next Host, IWG Secretariat & Conference 2022 – 2026: United Kingdom
London will host the next Secretariat, with the 9th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport taking place in Birmingham in mid-2026. See more here.
Roles & Responsibilities of the IWG Secretariat
Hosting the IWG Secretariat is a four-year commitment and carries significant responsibility, including:
- Development, management and implementation of the quadrennial IWG Strategic Plan, the foundation document for all IWG work internationally
- Promoting and monitoring the IWG Brighton plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration and adding value to the work of the global Signatories – currently over 550+
- Design and delivery of the IWG World Conference every four years – the largest gathering of experts on gender equity in sport and physical activity
- Development and implementation of IWG Global Programmes, including the Insight Hub, Advocacy Campaigns, and the IWG Global Network
- Relationship management with global governmental/non-governmental agencies and organisations (Ie. UN Women, UNESCO, WHO)
- Responsibility for management of all IWG external and internal affairs, globally
- Day-to-day support for the IWG Global Executive
The IWG is governed by the volunteer IWG Global Executive. The IWG Secretariat 2018 – 2022 is currently held by Aotearoa New Zealand. The IWG Secretariat & World Conference 2022 – 2026 quadrennial will be hosted by the United Kingdom. On August 5 2022, we opened a circle of leadership where the IWG UK took over Secretariat leadership globally. IWG New Zealand will continue to lead the delivery of the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport through to its staging in Auckland this November.
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