Part 1

Dr. Etsuko Ogasawara, Executive Director, Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport

History of JCRWS and Future Prospects
In Part 1, we traced the activities of the Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport since its establishment at Juntendo University in August 2014 and the transition of women’s sport in Japan and proposed that further research and awareness-raising activities be promoted.
First, Dr. Etsuko Ogasawara, Executive Director of the Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport (JCRWS), the organizer of the event, gave a presentation entitled “Ten-year trajectory and report of research results in JCRWS” in which she reviewed the efforts and achievements of the Center to date. She then emphasized the JCRWS’s desire to further promote research and awareness-raising activities in cooperation with international women’s sport promotion organizations (IWG, etc.), as well as in Japan.

Keynote Speech 1 speaker
Dr. Kyoko Raita, Professor, Faculty of School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University

Keynote Speech 1　
“Leadership of Women in Sport : Current Situation and Issues in Japan”
The invited lecturer was Dr. Kyoko Raita, who teaches at Chukyo University, specializing in “Sports History,” “Olympic Education,” and “Sport and Gender.
She introduced the current status of female leaders in Japanese sport and explained issues in developing women’s leadership in Japan. She presented several recommendations on what is needed to improve these issues. And she concluded by saying that in sports, “Failure is an opportunity for growth,” and that we need to take the current slow situation as an opportunity to take on bold challenges.

Panel Discussion　 “Leadership of Women in Sport: An International Perspective on Education and Research”
Deputy Director Dr. Natsue Koikawa served as the facilitator for a discussion on ‘Women’s Leadership,’ joined by four panelists: Dr. Kyoko Raita, who delivered the keynote speech, Ms. Marlene Bjornsrud, Ms. Elizabeth Masen, and Dr. Kanae Haneishi, all of whom have been lecturers at the Women Leaders Academy (WCA), a program launched by JCRWS in 2015.
The panelists shared insights on women coaches and leaders from their respective perspectives and examined differences between Japan and other countries.
Concluding the session, Deputy Director Dr. Koikawa stated, ‘We at JCRWS will continue to devote ourselves to advancing women’s leadership in the Japanese sports world through the Women Leaders Academy,’ eliciting resounding applause from the audience.

Part 2

Ms. Yuko Sakurama, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, JCRWS

Movement of Women in Sport
In Part 2, members of the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG), the sole organization dedicated to advancing discussions and activities on women and sport from a global perspective, were invited to engage in a lively discussion about global standards and what Japan should strive for.
The session began with a presentation by Specially Appointed Associate Professor Yuko Sakurama, who introduced the ‘Movement of Women in Sport’ that has been unfolding both in Japan and around the world.
Declaring, ‘We want to change the male-dominated sports world!’ women from across the globe took a stand and initiated action. By revisiting the strides made up to the present, expectations grew for the inspiring visions of the future of women’s sports to be explored in the upcoming keynote speeches and discussions.

Keynote Speech 2 speaker
Ms. Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, IWG Co-Chair

Keynote Speech 2 　
“Recent Movement of Women in Sport and the 9th IWG Global Summit 2026 in UK”
In May 1994, the 1st World Conference on Women and Sport was held in Brighton, UK, bringing together 280 people involved in sport from around the globe. Following the conference, the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) was established.
In Part 2, Ms. Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Co-Chair of the IWG, delivered a keynote address, offering a global perspective on the IWG’s vision and mission to create a world where all women and girls can thrive. She also discussed global awareness of women’s leadership.
The upcoming 9th edition of the conference now renamed the IWG Global Summit, is scheduled to take place from July 9 to 11, 2026, in the UK. It is expected to gather over 1,200 senior officials and policymakers from around the world. As the conference continues to grow in scale, there is increasing attention on how the IWG will drive innovation in women’s sports on a global level.

Global Movement of Women in Sport ～ ACTION NOW ! ～
This was followed by a panel discussion on “The Global Movement of Women in the World of Sport”.
Ms. Lisa O’Keefe MBE, the coordinator of the session, was the driving force behind the global success of the This Girl Can campaign, a women’s sports initiative during her tenure at Sport England. She has also lectured at the JCRWS-organized Women Leaders Academy (WCA) and has been serving as the IWG Secretary General since 2022.
The panelists included Dr. Etsuko Ogasawara, the Asia Representative of the IWG Global Executives, along with other members of the IWG Global Executive who had traveled to Japan from various countries. They engaged in a robust discussion about global standards for women’s sports and the goals Japan should strive for.
At the conclusion of the session, Ms. Lisa O’Keefe MBE asked Dr. Ogasawara for a summary. Dr. Ogasawara, Executive Director of JCRWS, remarked, “In the sports world, Japan has won medals in competitions, hosted the Olympics, and is perceived as holding a high position globally. However, in terms of the gender gap, Japan ranks very low among developed countries, and this disparity is significant. I believe that by listening to our international colleagues’ insights on how to address this issue, we can transform Japan into a country that earns universal respect. We will continue our efforts, so please lend us your support”.
The audience responded with loud applause, filled with great anticipation for the future contributions of the JCRWS.