Exciting Moment in the History of Girls and Women

An exciting moment in the history of girls and women in physical education and sport was made with the 18^th IAPESGW World Congress held in Miami, Florida USA at Barry University from 17^th until 20^th May, 2017.

Congruent with the values of IAPESGW and Barry University, the Congress committed to achieve the following aims:

1. Governments, corporate sector, sport federations, non-governmental organizations as well as civil society sustain individual and collective responsibility to enable and fulfill the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 with special emphasis on:

SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;
 

2. Leaders and advocates in the lives of girls and women in sport and education think globally and act locally with sensitivity for cultural, linguistic, religious, ethnic, political, and socio-economic specificity; and
 

3. Interdisciplinary researchers provide evidence to support policy, projects, programmes, and initiatives continuously commissioned by national and international key stakeholders.

Highlights of the congress included:

Keynote speakers Clare Hanlon (Australia); Jayne Greenberg (USA); Ana Maria Miragaya (Brazil);

as well as video presentations by five professionals and students from Iran as well as Maryam Koushkie, a member of the IAPESGW Board of Directors. None were able to obtain visas to the USA.

Meaningful awards were presented as well at the closing ceremony and celebration dinner:

Honorary Life Members:  Tansin Benn (England) and Gertrud Pfister (Germany)

A new enduring award was also presented: For the first time, the Margaret Talbot Award was given to Maryam Jahromi Koushkie (Iran); Canan Koca (Turkey); Rohab Shahrian (Iran); Susi-Kathi Jost (Switzerland); Eliana Ferreira (Brazil); Gladys Bequer Díaz (Cuba) and Doreen Solomons (South Africa).

This was only the second time since 1961 that the congress was held in the USA. IAPESGW President Rosa Lopez de D’Amico (Venezuela), along with Barry University’s Provost, John Murray, Immediate Past Mayor of Miami Shores, Alice Burch, and Local Organizing Committee co-chairs, Kathy Ludwig and Bridget Lyons, welcomed over 150 scientists and field-based professionals from 33 countries. Professionals exchanged ideas on how to transform research to action through keynote and scientific presentations, symposia, seminars, posters and workshops.

IAPESGW invites all those interested in attending its 19^th IAPESGW World Congress when it meets in Tokyo, Japan from 18^th until 20^th August, 2021.