Changing the Game for Girls and Young Women in Sport
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World’s biggest gathering of Sport for Good leaders to unite at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London for 2023 Laureus Sport for Good Summit
The largest gathering of Sport for Good stakeholders in the world will take place in London next week, focused on changing the game for girls and young women in sport. World-renowned athletes, global leaders from within the sports industry and key decision-makers from international governmental and non-profit organisations will meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a transformative three-day conference – supported by an array of socially-conscious global businesses.
The Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit, presented by Nike’s Made To Play commitment to get kids moving, is a unique event that aims to unite the Sport for Good community and share best practices around coaching girls and gender equity outcomes. It is a forum where representatives from across that community can form new partnerships and benefit from services and tools made available by Laureus Sport for Good, which has impacted the lives of more than 6.5 million young people since its inception in 2000.
Speakers will include athletes and Laureus Academy Members and Ambassadors Jessica Ennis-Hill, Missy Franklin, Nicol David, Tanni-Grey Thompson, Sean Fitzpatrick, Kosovare Asllani and Babalwa Latsha. They’ll be joined by industry leaders from Nike, Tottenham Hotspur, AIA, FC Barcelona Foundation; and representatives from UNESCO and the Greater London Authority.
For this sixth iteration of the Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit – the first since the pandemic – the focus on day one will be gender equity and coaching girls. A shared aim of these influencers and stakeholders is to equip the world’s most high-profile athletes with the skills to advocate for gender equality and the positive role sport can play in girls’ lives, and to better enable programmes to deliver that work. There will also be sessions on topics including ‘The role of the athlete in inspiring girls’ and ‘The rise of women’s football’.
On the second day of the event, Sport for Development programmes from all over the world will continue to share their experiences as the focus shifts to include issues around place, and in particular the Laureus Sport for Good Cities initiative, which creates a hub for local projects to share resources and information, and to work together to achieve shared goals within their communities. Sport for Good Cities is operational in four cities across the United States, as well as in Delhi, London, Hong Kong and Paris.
Jessica Ennis-Hill won Olympic gold in the heptathlon in London in 2012 and is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the group of elite athletes who now support the work of Laureus Sport for Good. Jessica said: “Every female athlete knows that the playing field is uneven for girls. Sport can provide so many benefits to young people and we have to knock down the cultural and societal barriers that stand between young women and the opportunity to carry on enjoying sport as they grow up. I experienced that as an athlete, and I’m more passionate than ever about bridging the gap through my work with Laureus and my app, Jennis, aimed at educating women about training in sync with their hormonal cycles and ultimately bodies.
“This event can kick start a new generation of girls who – if we work together now to make these changes – will have an equal opportunity to access the physical and mental benefits of a sporting life.”
Missy Franklin is also a Laureus World Sports Academy Member – as well being a five-time Olympic swimming champion. She said: “As part of the Laureus movement, I am proud to be a part of the Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit and I’m excited about the potential for change it represents.”
“I know how strong the network between elite athletes and the sports industry can be, and if we can extend that all the way to grassroots programmes by forging alliances and partnerships with other sport for development stakeholders, then we can change the game for girls and young women all over the world.”
Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are delighted to host the Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As a Club with equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, we are committed to driving the growth of women’s participation in football and wider sport – both within the Club and across our communities. We look forward to welcoming inspirational female leaders from across the world of sport to London N17 as we continue to break down barriers for future generations of young women and girls.”
Laureus Sport for Good works with community sports organisations that use sport to tackle violence, discrimination and inequality faced by young people. In 2022, Laureus Sport for Good supported 304 programmes across 42 countries and territories with funding, training, and other technical assistance.
