PHOTO: CHRISTINA CHEE
WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Gender Equity & Equality
A Women’s Working Group Meeting was held successfully at the VolkswagenWomen’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in September 2010
G
ender equity and equality have always been aspects very much observed in the sport of table tennis and also within the International Table Tennis Federation. The general aim of the Women’s Development Program is to increase the number of players, coaches, officials and female leaders throughout the world. Furthermore, one target has been to address every tier from continental to national and grassroots. In order to achieve the goal, the Women’s Development Program was formally established in 2003, when also the ITTF Women’s Working Group was created.
Mission Objectives of the Women’s Development Program are: ......to regard gender equity and equality as one of the principle objects of the ITTF in all areas of involvements and fields of interest: competitions, development, education, marketing and humanitarian projects. ......to provide equal opportunities, training and knowledge to girls and women to reach their leadership potential. ......to educate and train women for leadership positions in general, not only within the ITTF but also within their continental and national associations in addition to other microenvironments. Equipping them with the necessary knowledge to play an active role in sport as athletes, coaches and officials. ……particular attention is placed on the integration of girls and women in Para Table Tennis.
…..the number of girls and women that are taking part in the development projects, i.e. courses and camps, is regularly higher that 30% and reached the highest ever percentage in 2011 with 39.3%. ……there has been a significant increase in numbers of female players at various events: girls comprised close to 45% of entrants at Global Junior Circuit events, about 40% on the ITTF World Tour Tour, whilst at the Liebherr 2012 World Team Championships 43.7% of the teams attending were female, the highest ever. ……national and continental Women’s Courses and Training Camps for girls are held in all continents on a yearly basis, many include Women’s Forums. …..from 2012 all gender related development activities have been mainstreamed, i.e. fully integrated in the ITTF and consequently also in continental Development Programs. ……a promotional campaign through a poster distribution was launched in 2011 to spread the message about the importance of achieving full and complete gender balance in our sport. ……on average over 30 countries from all corners of the world celebrate International Women’s Day every year by launching the Friendship Trophy. ……in 2009 the first ever female Executive Director was nominated at the ITTF. ……at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games all four flag-bearers from the sport of table tennis were female. ……the ITTF is one of the few International Sport Federations with a lady holding a Chief Executive Officer position.
Fruitful Period The 2009-2012 period has been extremely fruitful and productive for the Women’s Development Program:
Social Change Certainly there are many achievements of which the international Table Tennis family
can be proud.
Three Phase Plan The Women’s Development Program is based on a three phase plan: ......Awareness (2003-2005) ......Education (2005-2007) ......Action and Participation (2007-Present)
Major Events ITTF Women’s Working Group Meetings and Women’s Sessions have been held at major events from 2009 to 2012. ......a World Forum was held at the HIS 2009 World Championships in Yokohama. ......open-to-all sessions were convened at the GAC GROUP 2011 World Championships in Rotterdam and at the Liebherr 2012 World Team Championships in Dortmund. ......meetings with players were held at the Volkswagen Women’s World Cup in Guangzhou in 2009 and in 2010 in Kuala Lumpur. ......Women’s Working Group Meetings were held in 2009 in Yokohama and Johannesburg, in 2010 in Moscow and Kuala Lumpur, in 2011 in Rotterdam and in 2012 in Dortmund.
Recognition The ITTF Women’s Development Program was one of the three winners at the Spirit of Sport Awards in 2012 being recognised for promoting social change. Meanwhile, Argentina’s Alejandra Gabaglio, one of the most active Course Conductors alongside Kenya’s Jane Pinto, a Member of the ITTF President’s Advisory Council, received the “IOC Women and Sport” Diploma in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Both were recognised for their outstanding contribution to performance, development and the participation of women in sport. ITTF DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION 57