Fourth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport MINEPS IV Athens, Greece, 6-8 December 2004 |
Recommendations Commission III Woman and Sport Introduction Affirming the importance and relevance of previous achievements and work on promoting opportunities for women in and through sport and physical education, Commission III recognizes the need to build upon measures made under the auspices of UNESCO – the UNESCO Charter on Sport and Physical Education 1978, the Declaration of Punta del Este (MINEPS III) and the Athens Declaration 2003, – as well as the Brighton Declaration 1994, the Windhoek Call for Action 1998 and the Montreal Communiqué of 2002; the IOC Declaration and targets for at least 20% of women in decision-making positions in NOCs and international federations by 2005; Welcoming the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE) proclaimed by the United Nations, urges all Member States, when developing programmes of activity for IYSPE, to take into account the needs of women and girls, to ensure inclusion of all; and to consider the particular role of Olympic education in promoting good values and interest in sport and physical education; Emphasizing the role of sport and physical education as tools for development, recognizes their critical role in achieving the goals of Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals; Recognizing and emphasizing the crucial role of sport and physical education in the lives and development of women and girls, especially for promoting health, self-esteem and self-confidence, encouraging participation and achievement in education, and promoting social cohesion and inclusion in social and community life, the Commission made the following recommendations: Taking into account the significant work that has already been done to improve the status of women and sport and the desirability for all to share and celebrate these achievements and resources, and Acknowledging the generous offer of the Greek Ministry of Sport to provide the financial and human resources to support the development and maintenance of a web-based observatory on women, sport and physical education, to be established under the aegis of UNESCO, Commission III recommends: that a Steering Group comprised of officials from the Greek Government, UNESCO and representatives of key international bodies with a mandate in women and sport, meet with a view to preparing a concrete project description for presentation to UNESCO by the end of August 2005; that officials of the Greek Government chair the Steering Group and assume responsibility for a plan and budget for its work. Having heard with interest the action of the Finnish Minister to set up a Working Group to develop methods of assessing the impact of legislation, budgeting, distribution of subsidies, etc., on gendered opportunities, recommends that governments and NGOs recognize the use of the sport budget as an instrument of gender equality. The Commission also recommends the development of a common framework for countries to use self-assessment to monitor progress and to promote the sharing of experiences and skills. Recognizing the need for clear evidence and data to support strategies to increase investment in programmes to promote opportunities for women and girls in sport and physical education, recommends to Member States and to national and international NGOs, that resources be found for programmes of research to outline the situation in countries, to ensure more systematic collection of data and to support advocacy in this area, which can be shared between countries and regions of the world. Recognizing the importance of the work and recommendations of Commission II on physical education and sport in schools for the systematic development of the skills and confidence for life-long participation in physical activity, especially for girls, Commission III supports its recommendations that sufficient time be found in the curriculum to deliver physical education to children – all girls and boys, whatever their particular needs. This crucial role should also be emphasized through UNESCO’s own Associated Schools Network (ASP), so that the wider benefits of curricular physical education can be demonstrated, especially for girls throughout their lives. Stressing the particular barrier facing women in countries without sufficient numbers of trained women personnel, and where it is desirable or even essential that women and girls are led by women, supports the recommendation of Tunisia that UNESCO discuss with partner organizations such as the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education and the International Olympic Committee, means of facilitating appropriate training for women, especially in least developed countries (LDCs), for elementary school physical education, coaching, officiating and administration. Acknowledging the world-wide challenges of the growth of childhood obesity, especially among girls; high incidences of early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy; and osteoporosis among post-menopausal women, and the significant role of physical activity and exercise in combating these, recommends to Member States that intervention programmes should be developed to address these challenges, with appropriate systems of monitoring outcomes. Appreciating the role of traditional games, sports and dance in the development of opportunities for activity for girls and women, and for continuity of culture and using sport as a tool for development, Commission III recommends that Member States with programmes of development in this area refer to TAFISA, the international NGO whose role is to promote and share experience of traditional games, sports and dance. Recognizing and celebrating the contributions made by women to the promotion of opportunities for sport and physical education for people with special needs, and for people who are excluded from mainstream provision; and in view of men’s relatively low participation in these areas, recommends that Member States and NGOs consider ways of increasing the number of men taking part in such work. Invites Member States to support the recommendation of Japan to send at least one delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women and Sport, to be held in Kumamoto, Japan from 11 to 14 May 2006. http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2005.htm Fourth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport MYNEPS IV recommendations 3 Athens, Greece, 6-8 December 2004