We must make changes today for a brighter tomorrow, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein, Chair of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Gender Equity Commission and OCA Chair of the Peace and Sport Standing Committee said at the final day of the 2nd OCA Gender Equity Seminar yesterday.
“Together, we can create change – not for us, but for our children and grandchildren. If we don’t act now, they will bear the cost.”
He added, “Gender equity is not an option. It’s a necessity and this is what we need to focus on. I understand that many people are concerned about resources in their field such as the right tools and the right mechanism.”
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, OCA Honorary Executive Board Member and President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council was also present.
His Royal Highness Prince Faisal reiterating the importance of learning from each other said; “It’s only through working together, its only by learning from each other, building the network that we have established here to be more effective.”
He added, “Being ignorant is no longer an excuse and if excuse is an issue, I think we are doing a great injustice to the world. So I urge you all to tackle this. We need to tackle this together because this is the way changes will happen.” Meanwhile, Chair of the OCA Gender Equity Committee Valerie Tarazi OLY delivered the outcome of the seminar ‘OCA Call for Action’ from the OCA Gender Equity Committee.
She shared four important areas of OCA Call for Action – Integrate gender equity into all activities, policies and strategies – while establishing a coordinated monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress, ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all women and girls to participate in sports and provide necessary conditions for them to compete at the highest levels, including the Asian and Olympic Games.
She emphasised a call of action to advance gender-balanced representation in decision-making bodies, ensuring at least 30 per cent women’s representation in line with IOC governance principles, and to strengthen women’s leadership across all levels through OCA programmes and Olympic Solidarity initiatives.
Themed ‘Watch Her Shine’, this year’s seminar aimed at empowering and promoting gender equity in sports across Asia. – James Kon
