On 29 September 2025, the Advisory Council Meeting organized by the Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport (GO) was held at the H?tel de Ville in Lausanne, Switzerland. The meeting brought together researchers, representatives of international organizations, and leaders of sport bodies from around the world.
From the Seijo University International Research Center for Gender Equality in Sport (SGE), Deputy Director Aya Noguchi attended as the hub representative for Japan and the broader Asian region, contributing to discussions on global policy trends and future strategic directions.

■ Background and Theme of the Meeting: “From Policy to Implementation”
The central theme of the meeting was how to transform existing gender-equality policies in sport into measures that are truly effective in practice.
Over the past 20 to 30 years, numerous gender-equality policies have been formulated in the sport sector. However, these policies have not necessarily been fully utilized in organizational management or embedded as institutional practices at the operational level.
Participants shared the global challenge of “policies exist, but implementation does not follow,” emphasizing the importance of building evidence-based, knowledge-driven implementation models. The discussion highlighted the need for comprehensive approaches that combine numerical targets with governance structures, monitoring systems, and mechanisms for training and capacity development.

■ SGE’s Initiatives and Proposals in the Asian Region
As a regional hub for Asia, SGE presented its ongoing initiatives and proposals for future contributions:
? Policy implementation support for 11 Southeast Asian countries
Workshops for policymakers, support for developing mid- to long-term action plans tailored to each country, and the creation of human resource development strategies.
? Research on women’s and girls’ participation in sport
Conducting not only quantitative surveys but also qualitative studies that visualize participation experiences and social barriers.
? Building a network of researchers in Asia
Establishing a platform that enables collaboration among researchers across the region.
? Strengthening advocacy collaboration
Working with GO to advance international advocacy aimed at preventing human rights violations faced by women and girls in sport settings.
These initiatives were met with strong interest from participants, who recognized them as “regionally grounded implementation models.”

■ Diverse Perspectives and Shared Challenges
Representatives from other GO Advisory Council member organizations such as the International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP), Griffith University, Loughborough University, Rachael Kundananji Foundation, World Baseball and Softball Federation, Safe Sport International, and Women Sport International and others took part in the meeting.
Key discussion points included:
? Gender disparities in parasport
? A holistic perspective on “Human Movement” as a fundamental right
? Balancing numerical indicators with storytelling
? Respecting linguistic and cultural contexts in international cooperation
Participants emphasized the need for evaluation frameworks that go beyond simply increasing the proportion of women in sport, focusing instead on “who can participate safely and with dignity.”

■ Outlook Toward 2026
The agenda included the presentation of the Key GO Directions 2026. Planned initiatives include:
? Development of thematic reports
? Creation of a tracker to visualize progress
? Establishment of a global knowledge hub
SGE will continue to actively engage in these international frameworks and contribute evidence that bridges research and policy implementation.

[Event Overview]
Event: Global Observatory Advisory Council Meeting
Date: 29 September 2025, 14:00–17:00
Venue: H?tel de Ville, Lausanne, Switzerland (Salle du Conseil Communal)
Organizer: Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport (GO)
Participating Institutions: Seijo University, Griffith University, Loughborough University, Women Sport International, Safe Sport International, and others