Give to gain – from campaign to creating change

I internally punched the air with joy when I read the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, “Give to Gain,” emphasising that contributing time, knowledge, or support for others can create a ripple effect of empowerment. This was progress from previous editions that had banal hashtags that beyond the alliteration did not lead to cultural change.

“Give to Gain,” is exactly the mentality we have been promoting over the last eight years since SIGAWomen was created, a global platform focused on advancing women into decision-making roles across the sports industry through structured mentorship, leadership development, and high-level worldwide engagement.

To gain gender equity in the decision-making structures of sports organisations globally, a key component of good governance and the fight against corruption, we need to give.

But who should exactly give what?

I believe that it is the collective responsibility of the women in current leadership positions in sport to give their time and share their career journeys - the good, the bad and the ugly - with the next generation of women, to make their pathways easier. Story telling in safe spaces is empowering, resulting in systemic change, promoting networking and job creation.

Equally, male leaders need to purposefully create and sustain opportunities for women, both at leadership level, and nurturing talent. Simple. Straightforward. Measurable. Achievable.

The aspiring female leaders also need to give and not just take. They need to invest time in developing their network, learning from those in senior positions willing to exchange their expertise and experiences to nurture their career development and at times go outside their comfort zones.

It sounds elementary, so what goes wrong in the giving process that blocks the gain of advancing gender equity in sports?

First, some female leaders it turns out are not as generous as they could be. Whilst we can all understand time constraints from demanding schedules; it is possible to give opportunities to younger women with small actions.

Regrettably in some boardrooms a feeling of protectionism to stay one of the fewwomen pervades. In my experience leading the mentorship programme, I am still astounded by some of the organisations we do not have represented when they have an agenda on women in sport. I have also been taken aback when global mentors have enquired whether they would be paid for the mentorship. This is not a service you should expect payment for – it is part of an unwritten civic duty to society to leave the world in a better place than you found it. If we lose this, truly it is the apocalypse.

Second, some of the male leaders unsurprisingly and conveniently prefer to maintain the status quo. I will push back every time when I hear the age-old excuse that there are not enough women in leadership positions for boards or panel discussions. This is simply a lazy excuse and can be corrected with intentional actions that bring about the desired result with equal representation, based on merit rather than tokenism.

Third, and I am loathe to share this, but a small proportion of the aspiring female leaders I have encountered and awarded scholarships for in the 2025 SIGAWomenGlobal Mentorship Programme, have simply not been prepared to give their time to the amazing mentors they have been paired with, despite applying for the programme. I could not believe it when I heard that despite a few C-Suite level mentors reaching out on several occasions, they were met with silence. What a waste!

When the above behaviours happen, gender equity in sport loses and advancement is slow. So, what happens when we embed our actions with a giving mentality?

This is where the positive feel-good stories happen!

It’s when –

• Mentors and mentees meet up in person after interacting online.
• A mentee finds a new career move or is given a piece of advice or tool that she can use to deal with a mansplaining situation or can confidently call out sexualharassment and discrimination in the workplace.
• I receive news that despite the mentorship cycle being over, mentors and mentees remain in touch and are supporting each other with business plans and pitches.
• I hear that mentors learn just as much from their mentees and that the giving and gaining is reciprocal.
• A woman I met at a conference reaches out to me asking for career advice as she remembers speaking to me during the networking session.
• I gain a great friend through the mentorship programme from the other side of the world who comes to stay at my house over the summer, and I learn from her experiences in the sports industry.
• A friend who is a female CEO who is not in the sports industry goes out of her way to introduce me to a potential sponsor for SIGAWomen.
• Women and their respective organisations donate to SIGAWomen’s new “Leave Your Legacy” campaign giving opportunities for scholarship places.
• I hear that our Global CEO has led the change of SIGA’s Constitution to enshrine gender parity as a principle.
• I learn a man from a SIGA Member organisation has promoted a female leader to take their place on our Council.
• I receive information that the new President or CEO of a league, club or federation is a woman for the very first time in the organisations’ history.
• A female led communication agency reaches out to me from the other side of the world and connects me with a major global brand that becomes a sponsor.
• One of the few female leaders in the football industry replies to my email and agrees to promote the programme with her esteemed network.

All these examples that I encounter in my daily life demonstrate the power of giving to gain in the fight for gender equity. Essentially it is when people say yes and open a door which in turn breaks down a barrier. To all those who said yes sincere and heartfelt word of thanks and appreciation.

I invite everyone reading this article to give in the following simple ways to play your role to gain more female leaders in the sports industry:

1. Give your time by becoming a global mentor or mentee on the 2026 SIGAWomen Programme;

2. Donate to the “Leave Your Legacy” Campaign and sponsor a single or group of mentees.

Click on the hyperlinks to learn more about the SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme and Leave Your Legacy Campaign.

Diario AS is proud to be a media partner of SIGA, supporting their vital work in promoting integrity in sport.

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