Manama, Bahrain, October 29, 2022: The attendance of 42 Asian National Olympic Committees at the inaugural Olympic Council of Asia Gender Equity Seminar was hailed as a massive success by Chair of the OCA Gender Equity Committee, Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa.
“Not only do we have 42 National Olympic Committees from Asia attending, but we also have 36 Secretary Generals and board members present which goes to underline the great importance all the NOCs are placing on gender equity in sports,” noted Sheikha Hayat on the eve of the two-day seminar.
The ground-breaking OCA Gender Equity Seminar on October 30-31 has also attracted a top-class line-up of speakers and panellists from a wide spectrum of professionals, including the International Olympic Committee, the United Nations, UNESCO and the International Red Cross.
“I’m so happy at the positive response to this seminar which is being held for the first time. The presence of all these experts, along with the superb turnout from the NOCs, is a good indicator that everyone is working hard to achieve gender equity in Asia,” said Sheikha Hayat, who is also a key figure in the IOC’s gender equality commission and a board member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee.
Sheikha Hayat, who will also address delegates during the opening ceremony on Sunday, added: “All participants will be able to benefit from this wide array of experts who will be stressing the importance that awareness and education are also two key ingredients in any gender equity progamme.
“Every Asian NOC will be told at this seminar that they should have a strategy, an action plan, an education system and a monitoring system in place. At the end of the day, it is not just numbers, for we are keen on the quality of the gender equity programme that the NOCs will put in place.”
The consent by IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach to send a video message which will officially kick start the two-day seminar was also welcomed by Sheikha Hayat who said it “gives us a strong message how important gender equality is to the whole world.”
She also thanked the unstinting support given to her committee by OCA top-rungers – Acting President Raja Randhir Singh and Director General Husain Al Musallam – as well as the backing from hosts Bahrain Olympic Committee, led by its President, H.H. Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.