KOROR, PALAU – Gender equality in sport is set to improve in Palau and Nauru with the launch of the Raising Innovative Sport Enablers (RISE) Project in Koror today.
Secretary-General of the Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC), Ms Baklai Temengil said, ‘The RISE Project is a partnership between PNOC, the Nauru National Olympic Committee (NNOC), and the Pacific Women Lead at the Pacific Community (PWL at SPC) programme supported by the Australian Government.’
Ms. Temengil said, ‘The project is a critical building-block to two Micronesian countries, Palau and Nauru, working to meet a gap identified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – the need for more women leaders in decision-making roles in governance, and in technical officiating such as coaching, judging, and as chefs de mission.’
She emphasized, ‘TOKYO 2020 and PARIS 2024 Olympic Games both had 13% female coaches and there is an urgent need to provide viable pathways for women and girls in sport to contribute to achieving the 30% target set by the IOC, which is the goal of the project in Palau and Nauru.’
Ms Temengil said it is providential that the gender equality goals of the Olympic Movement’s Gender Equality and Diversity (GEDI) Commission and the Pacific Women Lead initiative converge to enable such a timely partnership.
She reiterated that the project is one of many strategic activities by multiple partners that contribute to the improvement of women’s lives and opportunities, this time through the sport sector, and vice versa too by creating pathways for women in leadership in non-sport areas to make inroads into sport leadership and governance so there is a mutual flow both ways.
‘It is only fitting that we are launching our project as part of the PALAU 2025 Pacific Mini Games Chefs-de-Mission Workshop,’ said Ms Temengil, ‘Keeping track of gender parity from this event going forward can be a meaningful activity as well and I’m proud to say Palau can set this action in motion.’
Ms Temengil said, ‘This project is already having a positive impact on our preparations to host the Pacific Mini Games this year and it will also contribute to Nauru’s preparations to host the Micronesian Games next year. ‘I’m also proud to announce that the Nauru National Olympic Committee will have its own launch next month and we are very happy to be working together, especially as countries and sporting sectors from Micronesia