Historical Overview – Women in Sport Commission, Oceania The International Olympic Committee (IOC) began to look at the whole question of women and sport following the 1994 Centennial Congress in Paris. Subsequently, a regional (Oceania) workshop for Women’s Leadership in Sport was held in 1995 at the Australia High Commission in Suva, Fiji. It was agreed to establish an Oceania Women in Sport Committee, with Sophia Raddock, the then President of FASANOC (Fijian NOC), as Patron. It would appear that this was a loosely formed group of women, not formally recognised by the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC). Nevertheless, some members initiated action at the local level with varying success rates across the Pacific nations. Those islands with strong matriarchal communities were able to establish viable Women in Sport Committees, who organised a variety of activities to increase the participation of women in sport. In some countries, unfortunately, the status quo remained. It was not until 1997 when the IOC, as part of its Women and Sport Policy, established targets for women’s membership of NOC Executive Committees, that all NOC’s in the region looked seriously at ways to involve more women in leadership of sport. With at least 10% of executive decision-making positions in NOC’s to be held by women by December 2001, rising to at least 20% by December 2005, the IOC offered support through the conduct of Continental Forums and World Conferences on a 4 yearly basis. Despite the encouragement of the IOC Women and Sport Working Group, established in 1996, it was the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, celebrating 100 years of women’s participation, which proved the catalyst for action in the Oceania region. All Oceania NOC delegations at the Games were of mixed gender representation, and the Opening Ceremony highlighted the contribution made by women athletes to Australia’s success in international sport. In addition, Susie O’Neill (AUS) was elected to the IOC Athletes Commission and subsequently appointed an IOC member, entitling her to a position on the ONOC Executive Board. In 2002, Baklai Temengil, Secretary-General of the Palau NOC, became the first elected woman to the ONOC Executive Board, immediately doubling the female representation to over 22% of the total membership. It was at the June 2002 IOC Seminar for Women in Sport, held in the Cook Islands, that a group of women formed, in principle, a new Oceania Women in Sport Committee, with Rosie Blake (COK) as the interim Chair. A number of these women met again in July 2003 in Fiji, during the South Pacific Games, to continue discussion on the establishment of an Oceania Women and Sport Commission. In March 2004, Oceania was represented by 10 women from 7 NOC’s at the IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in Marrakech (Morocco). This was an ideal opportunity to meet as a continental group and, once Oceania was identified as the only continent without a formalised Women and Sport Commission, provided the impetus for action. Accordingly, a submission was prepared by Helen Brownlee (AUS) seeking ratification of the Oceania Women in Sport Commission by the ONOC Executive and 2004 General Assembly. In April 2004, at the ONOC General Assembly in Palau, Rosie Blake (COK), Anita Blas (GUM) and Baklai Temengil (PLW) presented the submission to the members, receiving unanimous support and endorsement. Baklai Temengil, as an ONOC Executive member, was appointed the Chair of the Commission. At last Oceania had a recognised Women in Sport Commission, notwithstanding the many projects conducted locally by NOC’s since the initial committee was mooted in 1995. The enthusiasm to move forward led to several meetings in conjunction with other events (ONOC Secretary-General’s Meeting, May 2004 and the Athens Olympic Games, August 2004) before a formalised meeting in Nadi, Fiji in October, 2004, where a working plan and budget was established for the 2005 - 2008 Olympiad. At that meeting it was agreed that the Commission membership would be comprised of interim chairs for each sub-region – Polynesia, Rosie Blake (COK); Melanesia, Susie Yee (FIJ); Micronesia, Anita Blas (GUM); Australia & New Zealand, Helen Brownlee (AUS) under the chairmanship of Baklai Temengil (PLW). These positions were confirmed at the 2005 ONOC General Assembly in Brisbane, Australia. Throughout 2005, a number of NOC’s conducted the inaugural WISO Walk and Talk initiative with support from ONOC and local business. Women in Sport Committees were established in Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga. In late June 2005, the IOC conducted another Regional Workshop for Women in Sport in Auckland, New Zealand. Over three days, 28 delegates from 13 NOC’s met to review progress, learn new skills and plan for the future. All delegates were encouraged to present nominations to their NOC for the annual IOC Women and Sport Award. Although the reality of women in sport varies from country to country, gender issues are increasingly addressed by NOC’s through a variety of activities and programmes. At the beginning of 2006, from 16 NOC’s in Oceania, there were 12 NOC’s who met the IOC target, providing an overall average of 24.8% for women’s representation on Executive Boards across the Oceania Region. As a fitting tribute to women’s contribution to sport in Oceania over the past 25 years, some 29 women participated in the 2006 ONOC General Assembly and associated sport meetings in Nadi, Fiji. H.Brownlee ONOC Women & Sport Commission July, 2006 .