August Newsletter – Transforming Olympic Success to a More Equitable Sport System

For those who have been tuning in to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics… how’s your sleep schedule been?

If you’re like us, it’s probably a little rough. But with the success Team Canada is having, missing a little sleep is worth every exciting minute of action!

The Tokyo Olympics have been a great way to show our national pride and cheer on our amazing athletes. And while this event is winding down, there’s still lots of action ahead with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games kicking off Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

Both Games provide outstanding visibility of women in sport and inspiring role models for girls. As the coverage dims, we mustn’t forget that women and girls face multiple barriers to participation in sport. Let’s build off the momentum to create a more equitable sport system for women and girls to return to post-COVID. Utilize our Gender Equity LENS and Keeping Girls in Sport e-modules, the Same Game Toolkit, and our COVID Alert: Pandemic Impact on Girls in Sport report to help you and your community build better sport through gender equity.

What’s happening at Canadian Women & Sport in August?

• Though the pandemic forced sport to come to a halt, we adapted our programming and resources to better serve the sport system in those trying times. We ensured that organizations at all levels through sport had the resources they needed to help build back sport for the better. Check out our 2020-2021 Impact Report to find out what we’ve been up to the past year and what we have in store for you next!

• We’ve been busy working with over 35 organizations to deliver our Gender Equity Playbook. We compiled the summarized learning from 14 of the organizations in our latest resource, Winning Plays: The Gender Equity Playbook Report. Read the report to see what best practices you and your organization can apply and the actionable tools you can utilize to build better sport for women and girls in your community.

• The 2022 WISE Fund Grant application process will be open soon! Applications will go live from October 12th, 2021 until November 2nd, 2021. With the support of Sport Canada, the 2022 WISE Fund will grant 30 organizations $2500 to advance gender equity in Canadian sport. This annual grant helps to build capacity for gender equity within organizations across Canada and support them to expand quality opportunities for girls and women to participate and lead in sport. Visit our website and social channels for updates on the application process.

Interested in working with us? Contact [email protected] to start your gender equity journey.

Thanks for reading!