The Global Observatory for Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity establishes in Lausanne

The Canton of Vaud, the City of Lausanne and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have been appointed by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to ensure the creation of the Global Observatory for Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity (hereafter: The Global Observatory). This initiative fulfils one of the objectives of the Kazan action plan, adopted in 2017 by the International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS) of UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), which brought together 121 Member States.

The Global Observatory has three main objectives in the field of sport and physical activity:

• to guide governmental and non-governmental actors in the design of action plans enabling them to achieve gender equality;
• to documentand create unified evaluation methodologies for independent monitoring of measures taken to promote gender equality;
• to connect different partners in order to facilitate coordination and knowledge exchange and amplify the impact and dissemination of information on gender equality.

The Canton of Vaud, the City of Lausanne and the University of Lausanne have decided to unite and co-found an association, the aim of which is to ensure the necessary conditions for the development of the Global Observatory, as an anchor within Lausanne’s international sport ecosystem, and as a global leader.

In order to do this, and with the commitment of the Social and Human Sciences sector of UNESCO, the association will ensure the development of relations and collaborations with national governments, UN agencies, international associations active in the field of gender and sport, sports federations, the International Olympic Committee, as well as political, associative and academic entities throughout the world.

The association, whose statutes were signed by Mrs. Nouria Hernandez, Rector of the University of Lausanne, Mr. Philippe Leuba, State Councillor in charge of the Department of Economy, Innovation and Sport for the Canton of Vaud, and Mr. Grégoire Junod, Mayor of the City of Lausanne, will bring together international experts in order to make and develop knowledge, practices and standards in terms of gender equality in sport, physical education and physical activity.

The position of Director of the Global Observatory is open for candidacy beginning today, until August 30, 2021 (the job description is available here).

Home to nearly 60 international sports federations and organisations and 42 international organisations, the Lake Geneva region will see its network enriched with the arrival of the Global Observatory.

Click here to read the full press release.