GOA Signs Declaration for Women Inclusion in Sport

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has signed on to the ‘Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on Women and Sport’ which works to ensure that the sporting culture enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport and physical activity.

The Declaration was signed by President of the GOA, Kalam Juman along with Assistant Treasurer, Tricia Fiedtkou on October 5, 2020. Programme Director for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women in Sport, Nicky Van Den Bos has acknowledged and welcomes the addition of the GOA.

This brings the GOA in line with many other countries. The Women in Sport Commission under the Guyana Olympic Association was recently appointed under the leadership of Executive Member, Tricia Fiedtkou.

The original ‘Brighton Declaration’ was signed in May of 1994 at the first international conference on women and sport. It brought together policy and decision-makers in sport at both national and international level, in Brighton, UK from 5 – 8 May 1994.

It was organised by the British Sports Council and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The conference specifically addressed the issue of how to accelerate the process of change that would redress the imbalances women face in their participation and involvement in sport.

The 280 delegates from 82 countries representing governmental and non-governmental organisations, national Olympic committees, international and national sport federations and educational and research institutions endorsed the Brighton Declaration, which provided the principles to guide the action intended to increase the involvement of women in sport at all levels and in all functions and roles.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration’ was later signed in June 2014 and updated the original Declaration, with the main aim to develop a sporting culture that enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport and physical activity.