SUCCESSFUL WORKING GROUP ON WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY AT THE CHILEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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Last Wednesday, July 1, near the Marlene Ahrens Olympic Training Center in Santiago, Chile, nearly twenty representatives from national sports federations participated in a meeting organized by the Chilean Olympic Committee’s Commission on Women and Gender Equity. The purpose of this meeting was to share information about the activities promoted in 2026, gain insight into the current situation of each sport, and collaboratively develop proposals and initiatives aimed at achieving gender equity in national sports.

This event, accompanied by coffee, seeks to strengthen the ties between the National Sports Federations and the Chilean Olympic Committee, promoting the development of women’s sports through the exchange of experiences, the identification of needs, and the development of actions that contribute to increasing women’s participation both in sports and in leadership and decision-making roles.

During the meeting, it was noted that 50% of the COCH Board of Directors is composed of women. However, it was also evident that female representation within the federations remains low, with only 11 female presidents among the 52 federations affiliated with the Committee.

As part of the 2026 agenda, the Commission is implementing the #MeEncantaHacerDeporte sports initiation program, aimed at 81 girls from the Colegio Almendral in La Pintana, which is part of the Nocedal Foundation. This three-month initiative, funded by International Olympic Solidarity, is the Commission’s main project for the year.

In addition, the Commission reported that it had secured a grant for the IWG 2026 mentoring program for women in sports and another for the WISH (Women in Sport High Performance Pathway) program. In the latter, badminton coach Camila Macaya was selected as a recipient of the program’s 7th cohort, marking progress in the development of women’s leadership in Chilean sports.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to present the Commission’s future initiatives, review the status of support for the federations’ activities related to women and gender equality, and create a space for dialogue and feedback with each of the representatives of the Working Group.