01. June 2006
Women running to take the next step on Gender
Equity
22.000 women and girls reached the finish line after 10k
of the ‘Course Feminine’ organized by Olympic Champion Nawal El Moutawakel in
Casablanca, Morocco. Among them were 40 international women who participated in
the three-day conference on Gender Equity within Sport for Development programs.
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“Taking the Next Step - Gender Equity through Sport”
An International Conference on Gender and Sport in Casablanca, May 2006
„Once a year women are in the public. The people applauded, they rooted
for the women and girls. In the afternoon, after the event, women went back into
their houses and men were in the streets and coffee houses. It is a long way,
and tempo is necesarry – this is why sports is theat great“. Edit Schlaffer
Press Release
Women running to take the
next step on Gender Equity
22.000 women and girls reached the
finish line after 10k of the ‘Course Feminine’ organized by Olympic Champion
Nawal El Moutawakel in Casablanca, Morocco. Among them were 40 international
women who participated in the three-day conference on Gender Equity within Sport
for Development programs.
The conference is a combined effort of Nike,
the Dutch organization for Development (NCDO) and the Moroccan organization for
Sports and Development (AMSD) supported by Nawal El Moutawakel. The conference
was attended by at least 20 NGO’s who run development programs all over the
world. Special guests of the conference were world champion marathon runner
Tegla Laroupe from Kenya and Olympic Champion Marie-José Pérec from France.
The attendees came together to share experiences, identify challenges
and create a movement that will support sport as a tool in dealing with gender
equity in development programs. The idea is to increase participation of women
and girls in sport.
The attendees noted as the main results that they
were able to learn from each other, exchange successes and work on solutions for
challenges together. One of the examples was sharing learnings from a football
program for girls in Mali that also focuses on raising HIV/AIDS awareness.
Participating in the ‘Course Feminine’ was a unique and symbolic way to
close the conference. The race is an initiative of Nawal El Moutawakel to engage
women and girls in sports. This year was the 8th edition of the race. Through
this race many Moroccan Muslim women feel empowered, and gain self-confidence.
This race is a great example of the strength of sport. It shows that
sport is a viable tool for sport for social change. Through these kinds of
programs and movements, women get a chance for a better future.
For more
information you can contact:
www.ncdo.nl
www.nikeresponsibility.com
www.amsd.ma
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