Blog Post: Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Chair of IWG Secretariat
Thursday 4th July saw a much-anticipated General Election take place here in the UK, which resulted in a newly elected Labour Government.
Under the new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, the UK has been promised ‘Change’ with women’s equality at the heart of each of their five missions. Throughout their manifesto, there were plenty of pledges to improve gender equality, and one of a few which really caught my eye was a clear commitment to expanding access to grassroots sport for children. This is crucial for the health and well-being of our society and future economy, and yet we know the research shows girls continue to face countless additional barriers, many to their detriment in later life.
New Ministerial teams were quickly announced by the Prime Minister, and so this week I have written to our new Secretary and Under-Secretary for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), introducing them both to the IWG and outlining how we can support the delivery of their priorities.
We received commitment from the government to support the IWG Secretariat during its tenure in the UK for the 2022-2026 period, as outlined in their Policy paper: ‘Get Active: a strategy for the future of sport and physical activity’. Additionally, IWG’s Secretary General Lisa O’Keefe MBE is a member of the DCMS Board of Women’s Sport, so I am keen we continue to build this key relationship, offering our support, advice and guidance as appropriate.
I also took the opportunity to welcome the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Minister of State for Health, the Secretary of State for Education, the Minister for International Development and the Ministers for Women and Equality. All of these elected MPs are crucial for the success of the IWG during its time in the UK and our ambitions for domestic legacy and improved outcomes for women and girls in and through sport and physical activity. There are areas within all their respective missions where IWG can offer to add value, thanks to the connections and insights made accessible to us via our extensive global network.
With the letters to the Labour teams now sent, I will begin engaging with the Shadow Cabinet over the coming days offering a similar service, and ensuring IWG is doing all it can to make an impact in the UK while it hosts the IWG.
While it feels turbulent at the time, political change comes with opportunity to engage and influence policy for the benefit of women and with that the UK society more broadly. The IWG is ready to take advantage of this with a calendar of events set throughout the rest of the year, and through to 2026. We are excited to announce the details soon, but we have invited our new Ministers to attend our ‘Women In Sport’ event which the British Ambassador’s Residence is kindly hosting in Paris during the Olympic Games, our Pearl Anniversary Celebration taking place in the City of London in December this year and of course the IWG Global Summit, taking place from 9-11 July 2026 at the International Convention Centre, in Birmingham, UK.
Of course, the UK isn’t the only country facing political change at the moment. We will continue our work with our Global Executive and network members to identify how the IWG can advocate for women and girls globally to help deliver priorities focused on increasing gender equality in sport.
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