The Panam Sports Women in Sport Commission is ready to make history by organizing the first continental Women in Sport Forum next week in Panama.

Sports leaders from the 41 member countries of Panam Sports will gather to tackle the biggest issues and challenges concerning equality in sports and present strategies to increase representation at every level in National Olympic Committees and sports federations.

The theme of the forum is “Joining the Path for Change” and topics include safe sport, increasing representation, empowerment, best practices, equality and inclusion which will be covered by presentations by leaders in the field and interactive panel discussion workshops.

The Panam Sports Women in Sport Commission is led by its President Alicia Morea (ARG) and members Patricia Lopez (CHI), Fenella Wenham (DMA), Elida Parraga (VEN), Annette Knott (TTO), Monica Franco (PAN), Jane Noel (GRN), Lorena Toriello (GUA), K.A. Juman-Yassin (GUY) and athlete representative Adriana Escobar (ESA).

The commission will meet on May 6 before the two-day forum begins on March 7 at the Sheraton Grand Panama hotel. The complete forum will be live-streamed throughout the world for free on the Panam Sports Channel. The daily program will begin at 9 a.m. local time and conclude in the late afternoon each day.

Many prominent leaders in the worldwide Olympic Movement will speak or join panel discussions during the forum, including International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Panam Sports Neven Ilic who will open the forum with their respective video messages.

Panam Sports Secretary General Ivar Sisniega and Panama Olympic Committee President Damaris Young will give the official in-person welcome to the forum. Other speakers and panellists include IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz and IOC Members Laura Chinchilla, Tricia Smith, Maria de la Caridad Colon and Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, as well as NOC, regional organizations and sport federation leaders such as Marisol Casado, Brian Lewis, Camilo Perez, Mario Moccia, Maria Jose Alcala, among many more.

“We are very excited and proud to organize this first Women-in-Sport Forum to continue our mission to strengthen the voice and representation of women in sports organizations throughout the continent. Working towards greater equality is a constant goal and we hope to see that emphasis at every sports organization in the Americas. I’d like to thank the Olympic Committee of Panama and all of the members of our Women in Sport Commission for their hard work to ensure this event is successful,” said Ivar Sisniega.