sportanddev and Global Observatory team up to strengthen gender equity in and through sport

sportanddev and the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport form a strategic partnership to advance gender equality in and through physical education, physical activity and sport.

As the leading platform for actors using sport in development, The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) will support the Global Observatory (GO) in their efforts to ensure gender equality across the sport and physical activity ecosystem. This includes mobilising sport for development and peace (SDP) actors to mainstream gender equity in their policies and programmes.

An MOU between the two organisations was officially agreed at the Safe Sport International Conference in Cape Town in May 2026 by sportanddev Executive Director Dr Ben Sanders and Dr Lombe Mwambwa, CEO of the Global Observatory. The two parties also collaborated on a panel in the plenary with Anne Tiivas OBE:
Missing Voices: Co‑creating Equitable Sport beyond the Margins.

Through the partnership sportanddev will join the GO Advisory Council and will be part of the Expert Group on inclusive and accessible data. sportanddev will contribute to the GO annual conference on 29 September in Lausanne, while the GO will enjoy various benefits in partnering with sportanddev.

Dr Lombe Mwambwa, CEO of the Global Observatory, commented on the partnership:

“Collaborating with sportanddev is a reflection of our shared goal to advance gender equality. As both sportanddev and GO mobilise knowledge, build communities, and share resources, this cooperation will amplify our respective and collective impact.”

sportanddev Executive Director Dr Ben Sanders welcomed the partnership:

“The Global Observatory plays a critical role in strengthening gender equity and leadership in sport, and sport for development. There is much work still to be done and sportanddev is proud to support their mission to advance gender equality in and through sport.”

sportanddev and the GO are already collaborating on a number of initiatives such as a survey on gender and leadership in SDP organisations. The two parties will share and develop research and learning resources such as those in the sportanddev resource library and the GO Knowledge Hub.

About The Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport (GO)

GO is a non-profit organisation established as a repository of strategic information, research and expertise on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in and through physical education, physical activity, and sport (PEPAS). Building on the existing gender and sport movements across the world, GO is dedicated to closing knowledge gaps and enabling actors to overcome global and systemic inequalities to advance gender equality for women and girls in all their diversity in and through sport. Visit their website for more information.

About sportanddev

sportanddev was founded in 2003 and exists to share knowledge, build good practice, facilitate coordination and foster partnerships in sport and development. sportanddev.org receives over 600,000 unique annual visitors from 229 nations and is available in English, French, Spanish & Arabic.

sportanddev operates a massive open online course (MOOC), Sport for Sustainable Development: Designing Effective Policies and Programmes, with the Commonwealth and Australian government. Over 11,000 learners from 205 countries across all six continents have enrolled with positive reviews from learners, policymakers, practitioners and academics. The course is open access and free to join.

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