Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity – (Toronto, Ontario – September 12, 2018)  The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) is excited to announce the launch of our 2018-2019 Women on Boards programming. 

It has been well established that a diverse board is an invaluable asset to any organization, but women continue to be underrepresented on sport boards. 

As of CAAWS’s most recent survey of National Sport Organizations (NSOs) and Multisport Service Organizations (MSOs) in Canada, 45% of boards did not meet the critical threshold of 30% women — the minimum required to reap the benefits of diverse perspectives. This 30% is a stepping stone to equal representation.

“CAAWS is committed to working alongside these organizations to create an equitable and inclusive sport system in Canada, and increasing female leadership is key to achieving this systemic change,” said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of CAAWS. “As a solutions partner, we are focused on supporting organizations to take action that will make them stronger and more sustainable.”

For our 2018 programming, CAAWS is offering a variety of resources grounded in our most recent data and accessible to organizations with various needs. These include:

·         A new guide for organizations looking to build their road map towards a gender-equitable board, including stories of success and guidance from peers in the sport system. 

·         A webinar series presented by accomplished industry leaders, with content tailored both towards organizations looking to diversify their boards and to women interested in taking on leadership roles. 

·         A specialized webinar led by Dina Bell-Laroche of the Sport Law and Strategy Group, the author of our new guide to creating gender equitable boards.

·         In-person or web-based presentations designed to support board diversity initiatives, led by our expert facilitators and available to sport organizations at all levels.

·         A revitalized web presence focused on helping women and organizations easily access the resources they need to realize their board potential.

·         A session at Sport Leadership sportif conference on leadership diversity as a performance enhancer, featuring CAAWS CEO, Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, and Jane Griffith, National Diversity Leader for Odgers Berndtson.

CAAWS believes that changing this landscape requires a compelling vision, a clear strategy, and patience. CAAWS can help Canadian sport organizations shape their vision of equity and inclusion, enabling the entire sport system to reap the benefits offered by diverse talent and perspectives.

Explore our new Women on Boards web page or reach out to CAAWS to learn more. 

We are grateful to Sport Canada for their support of this initiative.

About CAAWS:

 
CAAWS is dedicated to creating an equitable and inclusive Canadian sport and physical activity system that empowers girls and women—as active participants and leaders—within and through sport. With a focus on systemic change, we partner with governments, organizations and leaders to challenge the status quo and to advance solutions that result in measurable change.

For further information, please contact:

Greer Gemin
Communications and Administration Coordinator
Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity
416-901-0484
greer@caaws.ca