IWG Secretariat

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)
• Auckland, New Zealand (Secretariat 2018 – 2022; Conference 2022)
• Current – London & Birmingham, United Kingdom (Secretariat 2022 – 2026; Conference 2026)

Current Host, IWG Secretariat & Conference 2022 – 2026: United Kingdom

London is the current Host Secretariat, with the 9th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport taking place in Birmingham in mid-2026. See more here.

Previous Host, IWG Secretariat & Conference 2018 – 2022: Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand is the previous Host Secretariat, with the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Auckland in November 2022. 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 nearly 600
• 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 & World Conference 2022 – 2026 quadrennial is currently hosted by the United Kingdom.