Qatar Foundation—Wilton Park dialogue calls for global action to drive social development through sport

West Sussex, UK, 16 September 2026: International leaders spanning sport, government, policy, development and civil society have been called upon to join a global coalition focused on turning sport’s potential as a driver of social development into practical action at an event hosted by Qatar Foundation and Wilton Park.  

Held under the theme ‘Sport for Development in the Global South: Advancing Female Empowerment, Inclusion, and Accessibility’, the three-day dialogue examined why existing sporting systems continue to exclude women and girls, and what must change across policy, research, finance, infrastructure, coaching and athletic pathways. Bringing together policymakers, development practitioners, rights advocates, NGOs, and sport administrators, participants explored how the Global South can play a greater role in shaping international priorities and ensuring solutions reflect the realities of the communities they are intended to serve.

Wilton Park – an Executive Agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – and Qatar Foundation (QF) will now jointly develop a roadmap outlining actions, partnerships, and approaches to breaking down barriers that prevent women and girls, people with disabilities, and displaced communities from accessing and benefiting from sport.

Speaking at the dialogue, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and a leading global advocate for women’s and girls’ sport, invited those attending to join a global sport-for-development coalition that “carries commitments forward and turns them into action” – building on a landmark 2025 United Nations resolution enshrining sport as a human right and a means of empowering women and girls globally.

Initiated and submitted by Qatar on behalf of a core group of countries including Indonesia and Morocco, Resolution 59/17 has since been co-sponsored by 71 countries, and Her Excellency Sheikha Hind told the global audience at Wilton Park that its ambition “goes beyond parity”.

Parity assumes identical needs, which is simply not the case,”she said. “The barriers girls face are fundamentally different. They deal with safety risks, stigma, and a research landscape that has largely ignored the needs of women and girls.
— Her Excellency Sheikha Hind

Around the world, she said, a repeating pattern of high injury rates among female athletes, and high dropout rates from sport among adolescent girls, is being seen “largely because sporting pathways are rarely designed with women and girls in mind”.

“Our approach is to close that gap in practice, not just in principle,” Her Excellency Sheikha Hind said. “Involving women in the design of facilities, providing coaching tailored to women’s needs, and building the scientific research base that, too often, doesn’t exist for women’s and girls’ sport.”

Describing sport as “one of the most underused tools we have for development”, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind said: “It builds confidence, mobility, leadership, and opportunity, especially for women and girls in impoverished communities. But access remains deeply uneven, and the barriers are structural, cultural, and often invisible until you look closely.”
 

“Involving women in the design of facilities, providing coaching tailored to women’s needs, and building the scientific research base that, too often, doesn’t exist for women’s and girls’ sport.”

She emphasized that the goal is to build: “A sustained agenda to advance shared goals through sports with a coalition of partners assembled deliberately.”

And Her Excellency Sheikha Hind told delegates: “I invite each of you to join us in shaping this new sports coalition - one that carries these commitments forward and turns them into action. Qatar Foundation stands ready to help lead this effort.”

Across a series of sessions, they addressed topics including how women’s and girls’ sport contributes to development goals; removing systemic barriers to empowering women and girls through sport; the role of international donors and investors in promoting sport-for-development; the expansion of access to sport for women and girls with disabilities; diplomatic tools that can give female athletes and sporting nations in the Global South more influence; and how traditional sports can support the preservation of cultural heritage and identity. 

QF’s longstanding commitment to inclusive, accessible sport – in Qatar and on a regional and international level – has seen more than 70,000 women and girls participate in sporting events at its Education City Stadium over the past two years. Over 1,000 girls have so far participated in its Creating Pathways program, which nurtures young female sporting talent in track and field, volleyball, fencing, basketball, and tennis.

Circle In – an initiative led by QF, Education Above All Foundation, and the International Olympic Committee – is supporting sport-for-good projects in 10 countries, with a focus on women and girls, people with disabilities, and people from marginalized backgrounds, and the initial aim of benefiting up to 50,000 children and young people while training up to 5,000 coaches, teachers, and instructors. Meanwhile, QF and the Basketball Africa League have formed a partnership – facilitated by Qatar Sports Investments - to create opportunities for more people in Africa to play and benefit from basketball.

“Every girl should have the opportunity to participate in sport in an environment where she feels safe, supported and able to thrive,” 
— Victoria Nussbaumer, Executive Director, FIVB Volleyball Foundation

“Every girl should have the opportunity to participate in sport in an environment where she feels safe, supported and able to thrive,” said Victoria Nussbaumer, Executive Director, FIVB Volleyball Foundation. But our responsibility goes beyond the court: it is about creating pathways for women across the entire sporting ecosystem - from leadership to coaching, media and sports photography - and ensuring that today’s opportunities become tomorrow’s legacy. 

“Convenings like this, led by Qatar Foundation and Wilton Park, are important because they bring together the people who can turn that ambition into lasting change for the next generation. The time is now to make that change.”

About Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization focused on education, research and innovation, and community development that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. Across its ecosystem comprising more than 50 entities, QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond through its work across progressive education, sustainability, artificial intelligence, precision healthcare, and social progress.