Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, April 15, 2025: The Chair of the OCA Gender Equity Committee, Valerie Tarazi, spoke of the “energy, insight and openness” on display at the second OCA Gender Equity Seminar in Brunei.
Opening the second day of the seminar on Tuesday morning, Valerie looked back on Monday’s opening day which included a panel discussion with influential Asian sports leaders, a series of workshops and expert presentations.
“What stood out for me throughout the first day was the sense of unity,” said Valerie, who represented Palestine in swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“We are stronger when we are together. Today we continue with our journey so we can ‘Watch Her Shine’,” she added referring to the slogan of this second OCA Gender Equity Seminar, with SHINE standing for Strength, Hope, Inspiration, Next generation and Empower.
After the opening remarks of the OCA Gender Equity Committee Chair, IOC Executive Board member and Jordan Olympic Committee President HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein spoke about a subject close to his heart – the safeguarding of athletes.
The subject of safeguarding had cropped up frequently during the workshop sessions on the previous day and HRH Prince Feisal took the opportunity to update delegates on the current situation within the IOC.
This included the IOC safeguarding certification programme, which has certified 350 officers, and plans to develop a global network in different languages.
He also spoke of the five-day course for the Initial Point of Contact – a crucial appointment for National Olympic Committees. In this respect, the IOC is looking to establish regional hubs around the world for safeguarding.
“This is something we cannot ignore,” said HRH Prince Feisal. “Parents need to know that their children will be competing in a safe environment. The IOC is very serious about this.”
