The International Research Center for Sports and Gender Equality (SGE) at Seijo University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport (GO).

Under this agreement, SGE and GO will collaborate on research and information dissemination related to sports and gender, with a specific focus on East and Southeast Asia. SGE has become the first partner institution in Asia.

GO was established in 2021 to promote gender equality and address inequalities for women and girls through physical education, physical activity, and sport (PEPAS). The initiative is an outcome through UNESCO’s 4th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS IV) in Athens, Greece, in 2003. Its establishment was approved in 2017 under the Kazan Action Plan (KAP), at the 6th MINEPS conference and the GO is part of the Fit for Life Alliance agreed at MINEPS 7 in Baku.

By making high-quality data, insights, and expertise accessible, the GO aims to promote gender equality and address inequalities faced by women and girls through physical education, physical activities, and sports (PEPAS). Its mission is to empower women and girls within diverse contexts. In particular, GO focuses on developing a strategic mechanism to monitor progress in sports and gender equality on an international scale, including a digital database, capacity initiatives, and policy related publications.. It collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, including national governments, sports organizations, civil society, researchers, NGOs, and UN agencies, to conduct international research and disseminate information.

SGE has already established various collaborations with GO. In the "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sport: Gender Equality" project, commissioned by Japan’s Sports Agency, GO has been a strategic partner, providing overall project advice, guidance on capacity-building workshops for ASEAN countries, and deploying expert lecturers. In 2023 and 2024, SGE was the only institution in Asia invited to GO’s high-level stakeholder meetings to shape the priorities of the GO, where it contributed insights on initiatives and research on sports and gender equality in Asia.

Through this MoU, SGE will not only strengthen its collaboration with GO, but will be a "GO Academic Partner" and member of the Advisory Council. This global network of researchers and experts aims to enhance the strategic direction and position of knowledge and research across geographical and academic boundaries in the fields of sports, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls. GO continues to establish strategic partnerships with leading research institutions conducting impactful research on gender and sports globally.

GO Academic Partners (as of November 2024):

1.International Research Center for Sports and Gender Equality, Seijo University (Japan)
2.Griffith University (Australia)
3.Loughborough University (UK)
4.Louisiana State University (USA)
5.Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez (Morocco)
　*The University of Lausanne, Switzerland is a founding member of the GO.

Additionally, Aya Noguchi, Deputy Director of SGE and Associate Professor at Seijo University, has been appointed as a member of GO's Expert Group. Aya is expected to provide advice on advancing GO’s mission, the development of GOdata initiatives, policies, and share insights on gender equality initiatives in Asia.

"We are delighted to have signed this partnership agreement with GO. Gender-related research and initiatives often tend to be based on theories developed primarily in the Western contexts. In this regard, it is extremely significant that SGE has been recognized for its work in Asia and invited to participate as an academic partner through this agreement.This being the first agreement of its kind for a Japanese university or research institution marks a significant step forward for international gender studies. We are pleased to contribute to the truly global discussions that GO aims to foster. With this collaboration as a driving force, SGE is committed to further advancing research on sports and gender in East and Southeast Asia."

Director, SGE
Atsuhisa Yamamoto

“It is a major achievement for the Global Observatory to formalise our partnership with Seijo University. The work, positioning, and ethos of Seijo are of significant value to the mission and vision of a truly global GO. We are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate together to extend the GOs reach in Asia and to ensure our work is informed by the experts in the respective region to whom the data, policies, and practices matter the most. As an organisation that values inclusive data governance and practice, we look forward to shared learning, mutual development, and a successful cooperation as our organisation and database project moves forward. SGE brings to the GO and to the wider GO network invaluable resources and influence that will catalyse our collective efforts. ”

Research Director, Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport
Dr. Lombe Mwambwa

Through this MoU, SGE aims to further promote gender equality through sports in Japan and Asia, while strengthening its presence in the international community, and contributing to global discussions on sports and gender equality.

For reports on GO’s high-level stakeholder meetings in 2023 and 2024, please visit the following links:
2023: /news/jtmo42000001eqab.html
2024: /research/sge/en/news/cvt4qu00000096xb.html