International Women's Day 2026 (© World Athletics)
Mentorship a key driver in helping women grow into leadership positions in sport
Make your pledge here
World Athletics is calling on its Member Federations, Area Associations, coaches, technical officials, administrators, athletes and partners worldwide to pledge their time and expertise to mentor women and girls across all areas of the sport, as a commitment to closing the gender gap in athletics.
This pledge forms part of World Athletics’ contribution to the International Women’s Day 2026 global campaign, #GiveToGain, which calls on individuals and organisations to give their time, resources and support to help forge gender equality through abundant giving. By encouraging stakeholders to pledge mentoring hours, World Athletics is turning the #GiveToGain message into practical action across the sport.
Stakeholders are encouraged to register their mentoring pledges via this form where they can formally commit the number of mentoring hours they will dedicate over the next 12 months and beyond. They will be able to log their hours, indicate the area of support – such as coaching, officiating, administration, governance or media – and outline the type of mentorship they are pledging to provide, whether one-to-one guidance, group sessions, shadowing opportunities or structured development programmes. Pledges made should reflect what stakeholders are currently providing within their local athletics communities, or new support they are willing to offer to help women and girls progress in the sport.
“Mentorship is one of the most powerful tools we have to accelerate change. Throughout my career, both on and off the track, I have seen how guidance, support and the willingness to open doors can change the trajectory of someone’s life,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
“If we are serious about achieving gender equality in athletics, we must be equally serious about investing our time in the next generation of women leaders – in coaching, officiating, administration and governance. When we give our experience and expertise, we strengthen not only individuals, but the entire sport.”
World Athletics already has a number of mentorship programmes aimed at creating pathways for the next generation of talent including the World Athletics Media Academy, Content Creator Programme and Kids’ Athletics Train the Trainer workshops.
World Athletics Media Academy and Content Creator Programme
With the aim of nurturing the next generation of media talent in the sport, World Athletics has established the Media Academy and Content Creator Programme. By addressing critical gaps in talent, diversity and expertise, the Media Academy is designed to ensure a bright future for the storytelling of athletics – in journalism, photography and broadcast commentary. Running alongside this is the Content Creator Programme, which was established in 2023 and has become a launch pad for content creators within the sport – providing a platform for talented creatives on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Find out more about the Media Academy and Content Creator programmes.
Kids’ Athletics Train the Trainer workshops
Kids’ Athletics Train the Trainer workshops are designed to upskill Kids’ Athletics Leads with skills to deliver the Kids’ Athletics programme, and to grow and build a strong network of coaches and teachers within the Member Federations. These Leads play a central role in rolling out the Kids’ Athletics programme in their country, supporting and guiding coaches and teachers in their development. By strengthening these leaders, World Athletics is helping to create sustainable structures that expand opportunities at grassroots and community level.
Find out more about the Kids' Athletics programme.
"We are calling on organisations and individuals to commit to mentoring women and girls in our sport, whether through formal programmes or one-on-one shadowing opportunities,” said World Athletics Gender Leadership Taskforce Chair Stephanie Hightower. “Together, by committing our time, expertise and leadership, the athletics community can bridge the gender gap and ensure women have equal opportunities to lead, officiate, coach and shape the future of the sport.”
As part of this initiative, stakeholders are also encouraged to share stories of the work they are already doing to support women’s advancement. These stories will be highlighted across World Athletics platforms throughout the year to celebrate these efforts and inspire further action and collaboration. The stories can be sent to genderleadership@worldathletics.org
World Athletics will collect the pledges and connect mentors with aspiring future leaders looking for mentorship opportunities in our sport. The hours pledged and delivered will be tracked and reported to measure impact, ensure accountability and help strengthen development pathways for women across the sport.
World Athletics