After five years of successful collaboration on women, girls and sport, the UN Women and International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently renewed their commitment through a second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Laying out the vision for the next five years of partnership, the MoU will empower women and girls through sport and increase women’s leadership and gender equality.

“Sport is an invaluable tool to equip women and girls with leadership skills, reduce marginalization and dismantle stereotypes, and I am excited to continue our strong relationship with the IOC,” said UN Women Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

“Together we can bring substantive equality – a Planet 50-50 – to the world of sport at all levels,” said Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of the “Rainbow Nation,” South Africa.

UN Women and the IOC share the same objectives of advancing gender equality in and through sport, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 5, and of empowering women and girls through the necessary skills and capacities to be agents of change in their communities and societies.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes sport as an important enabler of sustainable development, and in particular its growing and innovative contribution to the empowerment of women and young people, individuals and communities, as well as health, education and social inclusion objectives.

Read the entire article here.