The Cebu Pink Dragons and other women athletes are greatly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. How to cope up? What are the existing opportunities to indulge in to address the current restrictions caused by the current health scare? Find out the answers in the first international online sports conference called SWEEP or Sport for Women’s Empowerment and Employment Program. / contributed photo
No less than the UN has cited how the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously undermined access and opportunities to sports and physical activity – impacting much more the vulnerable sectors like women and girls.
And while the country seems poised for another lockdown, renowned women sport leaders, coaches, and entrepreneurs from here and abroad will be coming together to cap international women’s month during the country’s first online international sports conference for S.W.E.E.P., or Sport for Women’s Empowerment and Employment Program, on March 24 to 26, 2021 via Attendify.
“Women empowerment through sports has been our advocacy since 2014. The mission of S.W.E.E.P. is to capacitate teachers, coaches, and sports professionals in the unique aspects of engaging women and girls in sport, which now includes adaptive sport,” says Geraldine Go-Bernardo, who was the first female Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission and 2005 SEAG gold medalist athlete for dragonboat racing.
“However, these efforts will NOT be sustainable unless we address the other components of the empowerment ecosystem. Thus, the 3-day conference will showcase 6 program pathways to pursue opportunities in research, education, and careers after sport,” she adds.
Highlighting the need for visible role models, Filipina women athletes who have broken barriers in international competition and leadership positions will be there. Ada Milby of World Rugby Council, Olympian Akiko Thomson-Guevera, Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski of the International Olympic Committee, and Tokyo-bound weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz are among those who will present under the “Women Who Win” session sponsored by PLDT Home.
PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram will open the talk of international panelists from the US, Malaysia, and Venezuela on “Championing the Women in Sport Agenda”. And Department of Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua will introduce the New Sports Manual.
With the conference theme: “More than ever, #SportsTogether,” the invited speakers will share lessons on how sports and sport businesses can pivot in the “new normal”: Pearl Anne D. Managuelod of the Muay Thai Association of the Philippines, Jercyl Lerin of the Philippine Rowing Association, and Theresa Mae Conson of Active Woman duathlons on the how-tos of conducting their sport in the digital space. 808 Studio’s Sofia Coyiuto and Dorthee Li on how their fitness enterprise thrived during the pandemic, and Virgilio “Cholo” Legisma Jr. of Kings of the Court with “Starting a Business in Sports”, while providing tips on creating effective social media campaigns.
Representatives from international sports organizations, such as the Asian ESports Federation, iWorkinSport, USA Volleyball, The Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA), and WomenSport International, will also present their respective campaigns and programs. MILO PHILIPPINES also gives recognition to the launch of the Best P.E.ndemic Program to acknowledge the resilience and contributions of P.E. educators who went above and beyond duty and connectivity issues to keep their students and community “playing”.
With over 25 lecture sessions and 40 organizations invited, registered attendees will also enjoy a unique video conference experience through Attendify, which will allow networking, virtual exhibition booths, and asynchronous viewing of the sessions until the end of December 2021.
The event is co-presented by the ESPN Stuart Scott ENSPIRE awards and made possible through its partnership with the U.S. Department of State Sports Diplomacy, espnW, and Global Sports Mentoring Program.
For more information about S.W.E.E.P. and inquiry on registration, you may visit the website at sportphil.com/sweep-2021, or contact the organizers through goforsweep@gmail.com or the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Sportphil. /pr