Development

Women's Referee Course and Empowerment Seminar Held in Colombia

Monday, December 17, 2018 - 16:18 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

MEDELLÍN, Colombia (December 18) -- United World Wrestling held its first-ever women's-only Introduction to Refereeing Course last week for the Pan American countries in Medellín, Colombia.

The course had a total of 32 participants from 15 different countries and provided resources to women who are new to refereeing and helps them improve on their existing knowledge. The activities are part of an ongoing effort by United World Wrestling to increase the involvement of women in all aspects of the sport.

"The first-ever women Referees and Empowerment course is an awesome end to one of the Development department’s most successful years,” said Deqa Niamkey, United World Wrestling Development Department Director. “It is amazing to see the determination and devotion of these women to develop wrestling in their countries. Women's wrestling has a bright future ahead."

The course – led by instructors Eduardo PAZ GONÇALVES (BRA) and Abraham GALVA (PUR) -- included five days of classroom and on-the-mat learning and sharing of personal experiences in the sport. Attendees said they felt empowered by the course to go back to their home countries and start implementing changes.

"Change and adaptation are so important in the future of wrestling. Woman face many different issues in a male dominated sport,” said Shelby Tremblay (CAN): It's amazing for the United World Wrestling to recognize that there needs to be change and create great opportunities like this. Everyone's experiences are different and it's really neat to come together and share our own Wrestling stories to help shape the future."

Many attendees looked forward to seeing how the project would further impact the sport at home, and abroad.

"The growth of women's wrestling in our sport is amazing regarding athletes, but we are still behind in the number of referees and coaches, it will be great to reach the 50/50 gender equality in the future,” said Ruth Hossein (ARG). “To increase the number of women, concrete actions are necessary, and this course is a great opportunity for the region."

“As a Leadership coach, I am positive the change that started in Medellin, among women referees in Wrestling will have two aspects: a ripple effect in their countries and regions as they role model what good referees and leaders do, and also it will have a positive impact in the sport," said Gabriela Mueller Mendoza, coach, speaker, who has supported Olympic movement for over a decade. "Empowering girls and women in any society is the quickest most effective way to progress an sport in an excellent vehicle for change to happen. UWW’s leadership is convinced about their commitment to the ambitious Olympic agenda, and this  course in Colombia was a tangible way to walk the talk."

The program was also securing institutional support from the sport's top leadership.

"We are excited to see this progress for our women's outreach," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "These efforts are in line with Agenda 2020 and we will continue them in the future."

#development

UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum concludes in Paris

Thursday, December 7, 2023 - 14:26 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

PARIS, France (December 7) --- The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023, held in Paris from December 2nd to 4th, concluded on its third day with a sense of achievement and empowerment among all participants. This transformative event united leaders and experts in a collective effort to advance women in the world of wrestling.

 

Day 1: Opening Ceremony and Empowering Training

The first day commenced with a morning opening ceremony featuring welcome messages from key figures in the wrestling community. Mr. Nenad Lalovic, President of UWW, Mr. Fabien CANU, INSEP Director General, Mr. Lionel Lacaze, President of the French Wrestling Federation, Ms. Rodica Yaksi – UWW Bureau Member and Ms. Deqa Niamkey, UWW Development Director expressed their commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in wrestling on a global scale.

Three priorities for advancing women in wrestling for UWW:

  1. Sustain Elite-Level Participation Growth:

Ensure continuous growth in elite-level participation across all domains (athletes, coaches, and referees).

  1. Promote Gender Equality through National Federation Policies:

Implement gender equality policies, focusing on increased inclusion of women in leadership roles.

Initiate the first steps of experience and practice at a national level through commissions, continental councils, NOC, Continental Confederations, etc.

  1. Foster Education Opportunities:

Maintain a commitment to education by providing opportunities through programs such as the WW Forum, WISH, Refereeing Courses, Athlete Scholarships, etc.

Following the opening ceremony, the day was dedicated to Women Empowerment Training led by Gabriela Mueller, focusing on goal-setting, self-leadership, and a leader's unique value proposition.

Day 2: Skill-Building and In-Depth Discussions

The second day continued with Women Empowerment Training in the morning, and in the afternoon, the event shifted to an engaging panel discussion on leadership challenges in wrestling. This insightful session, featuring distinguished speakers like Rodica Yaksi (TUR) - UWW Bureau Member, Csilla Ali (HUN) - General Secretary of the UWW European Council, and Buyana Pelje (MGL) - General Secretary of the UWW Asian Council, explored 21st-century leadership skills and group presentations on contemporary challenges. Skill-building sessions covered influence and persuasion skills, adopting a growth mindset, and mastering leadership fundamentals.

Day 3: Crossing the Finishing Line of Empowerment

On this final day, all participants collectively "crossed the finishing line" as they completed their empowering journey at the UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum.

The day began with discussions on women leading in wrestling part II, with panelists such as Lise Le Grand (FRA) - Vice-Président of FRA NF; Board Member of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Jaimie McNabb (USA) - Sr. Manager of Women’s Freestyle, Emerging Programs and National Teams Services, and Deqa Niamkey (SUI) - UWW Development Director; Chair of ASOIF Sports Development and Education Group; Member of ASOIF Gender Equality and Diversity sharing valuable insights and providing a toolkit for success.

The Leadership Training segment continued with a focus on the power of online presence in the social media era. Panelists, including Dragana Saveva (MKD) - Secretary General of Wrestling Federation of the Republic of North Macedonia, Tin Bregovic (CRO) - Secretary General of the Croatian Wrestling Federation, and Yuri Maier (ARG) - 13x Pan-American Medalist, UWW Sport & Development Officer, IOC Athlete365 Career+ Lead Educator, ACODEPA Sports Manager, emphasized the importance of establishing a strong online presence and improving communication through social media. AI expert Gabriela Muller provided insights into the intersection of leadership and AI in the digital space.

The forum concluded with a closing ceremony, expressing gratitude to participants, panelists, and experts. All participants were acknowledged for their active engagement and insightful contributions, leaving them empowered and ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

The UWW Women in Wrestling Global Forum 2023 has undoubtedly served as a significant milestone in promoting gender equality, skill development, and leadership empowerment within the wrestling community. As the event wrapped up, the sense of accomplishment and readiness to face challenges marked the beginning of a new era for women making their mark in the world of wrestling.