October 25, 2017
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced on 24 October 2017 that 82 national governing bodies have endorsed the International Working Group on Women and Sport's (IWG) Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration. Devised in 2014, the declaration's overriding aim is to develop a culture that enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport and physical activity.
It was signed by WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari and the IWG's co-chairperson Ruth Maphorisa in Botswana's capital Gaborone last week, where the governing body held its Congress. This has now been backed up by the 82 WBSC members becoming signatories of the declaration.
"WBSC and our sport's leaders around the world fully support the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration and applaud the International Working Group on Women and Sport for their important work," Fraccari said.
"WBSC considers the promotion and equal opportunity of girls and women in baseball and softball to be a duty and priority.
"Females represent a large part of our global community, but WBSC and our global movement remain doubly committed to making our sport even more inclusive and accessible to girls and women, and this includes in roles of leadership."
Three women (23%) currently serve on 13-member WBSC Executive Board, including Secretary General Beng Choo Low (MAS), 2008 Olympian Maria Soto (VEN) and three-time Japanese Olympic Softball coach Taeko Utsugi. International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines set a target for at least 20% of decision-making positions to be occupied by women.
Japan’s first female director of the Baseball Federation of Japan, Hiroko Yamada, was elected at the WBSC Congress in Gaborone to serve on the WBSC Baseball Division Executive Board.
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