Seijo University International Center for Sport and Gender Equality (SGE) is implementing "ASEAN-JAPAN Actions on Sport: Gender Equality" as a commissioned project by the Japan Sports Agency since 2023.In this project, the governments of Japan and the 10 ASEAN countries and Timor Leste are collaborating to achieve gender equality through sports. As part of this project, a workshop was held in Manila, Philippines, for two days starting on January 8, 2025.

　This workshop follows up on the workshop held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in January 2024. In this year, based on the "Sport for Generation Equality Framework" published by UN Women in 2020. This UN Women framework establishes the following six principles to promote gender equality in sports. Each country set two priority areas from this framework.

UN Women Sport for Generation Equality Framework

　The primary focus of this workshop was on "monitoring and evaluation". With two main objectives in mind, we shared various information and held discussions.

1)Define the indicators that can visualize the progress of gender mainstreaming in sports policies of various countries, as well as the methods for collecting and monitoring data based on these indicators.

2)Define common gender-specific indicators to visualize the progress among ASEAN member countries.
A total of 27 people attended, which includes the 10 ASEAN countries and for the first time Timor- Leste.

A total of 27 people attended, which includes the 10 ASEAN countries and for the first time Timor- Leste.

DAY1（January 8th）

Opening

　At the opening session of the first day, Ms. Anna Christine Abellana, Senior Officials' Meeting in Sports Focal Point, delivered the speech in behalf of Ms Olivia "Bong" Coo, Commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, followed by Mr. Joel Atienza, Senior Officer of Education Youth and Sports Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, who expressed his expectations of the workshop.
　Also, Deputy Director of SGE Aya Noguchi, noted that the efforts of ASEAN and Japan have attracted attention from around the world, including UNESCO, and expressed her gratitude to everyone involved. She said: "I am honored to be able to play a part in your collective action to promote gender equality in sport."

Next, Mr. Atienza from the ASEAN Secretariat introduced various plans and frameworks that ASEAN has formulated to promote gender equality in the field of sports, including the "ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021-2025" and the "ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework." Mr. Atienza noted that in advancing these efforts, ASEAN still faces a wide range of challenges, including financial and resource constraints and data aggregation and dissemination. This highlights the need for continued cooperation, knowledge sharing and targeted support for a more harmonized and accelerated implementation of gender mainstreaming in various sectors, including sports."

Introduction: Review of the previous workshop and project Goals of the workshop
In the first session, SGE Deputy Director Noguchi reviewed the progress of this project up to the previous year and shared information to deepen common understanding of the goals of this workshop.

First, the roadmap planned for 2023 to 2026 was explained. Following the 2023 workshop, which deepened understanding of "gender mainstreaming," this year's theme was "Monitoring and Evaluation." In addition to, the priority issues for each country set at last year's workshop were shared again.

(Photo 2) Priority areas for each country

　
What is M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation)?
SGE, Deputy Director, Noguchi Aya
Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport, Research Director, Dr. Lombe Mwambwa

　
“What are the global initiatives and strategies in sports policy and data collection, and why does data matter?”
Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport, Research Director, Dr. Lombe Mwambwa

　
Presentations from each country

　During the afternoon session, presentations were given by representatives from participating countries. Participants made 10-minute presentations on their countries' "track record of efforts to promote gender equality," "existing data on leadership, coaching, gender-based violence, media, and other fields," and "challenges in data collection."
In response to the presentations, Ms. Chiaki Inoue, Japan Office Lead, Portas Consulting Japan, who was one of the presenters, praised the fact that decision-makers showed gender diversity, stating that it was "wonderful." However, she also emphasized the importance of considering "the environment for accepting them," arguing that to advance gender equality, it is essential to look not only at quantitative data but also at qualitative.

　
Case Study: Regional Government Initiatives - EU/Council of Europe
Council of Europe, Senior Project Officer at Joint EU-CoE project? All In Plus ? - Promoting greater gender equality in sport, Sport Division, Olivia Conrad

　Ms. Conrad, explained the benefits of data collection in promoting gender equality in sports. One key benefit is that data can clearly present the existence of inequalities. Ms. Conrad emphasized, "Without such concrete evidence, any form of discrimination can be denied and, consequently, perpetuated." Additionally, she shared that data allows us to "set priorities and make more informed decisions," highlighting its role as a crucial tool for guiding specific actions.

DAY2（January 9th）

Case Study #1 Japan's Initiatives
Aya Noguchi, Deputy Director of SGE

　The second day started with the presentation of information on two case studies. First, SGE Deputy Director, Noguchi explained the case of the Japanese government. She shared the contents of the governance codes of sports organizations, how they are monitored and how often, and data on the participation rate of women in sports in Japan.

Case Study #2 Collaboration with Consulting
Portus Consulting Japan Office Lead, Chiaki Inoue

　Furthermore, Ms. Inoue emphasized that by taking on this initiative not just in one country, but across the entire ASEAN region, it would bring about benefits such as "insights derived from benchmarking and comparisons," "opportunities for cooperation in upcoming strategies," " large-scale data that enables more accurate statistical analysis," and "cost reduction." She provided the participants with a new perspective.

Strategic planning for the development of monitoring indicators for data on gender-related initiatives in sport: Country group work

　After all the information-sharing sessions concluded, we had group work sessions. Over the course of approximately three hours, each country worked on specific actions, such as identifying challenges related to priority areas, setting long-term goals and objectives, establishing metrics to measure progress, and determining who to collaborate with and how to collect data.

　Finally, a discussion was held on the topic of "Is there a need for common indicators to measure the promotion of gender equality among ASEAN member countries?" Participants agreed that a common indicator is necessary. The reasons given for this include the ability to set standards and common goals, and to collectively address similar challenges. Ideas for potential indicators shared by participants included sports participation rates, the proportion of women involved in leadership and coaching, and the availability of counseling services for gender-based violence.

　On the other hand, several concerns were raised during the discussion. These included issues such as budget constraints, religious and cultural differences, limited access to research technology, and questions about who would take the lead, how the project would be coordinated, and how the data would be used.

　
Closing

　After all sessions were completed, the workshop was concluded with remarks from representatives of relevant organizations. Mr. Richard E. Bachmann, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, celebrated the solidarity towards ASEAN's efforts to promote gender equality through sports, stating, "We will strive to spread the messages shared here, not only within our respective countries but throughout the entire ASEAN region, and further accelerate the standards in the global sports community." He expressed his enthusiasm for future endeavors.

　Following this, Mr. Joel Atienza from the ASEAN Secretariat reflected on the workshop, stating that it had been extremely valuable. He expressed his gratitude to all those involved and to all the participants.

　Lastly, Deputy Director Ms. Noguchi reflected on the two days, saying, 'I thought it would be challenging to use results as measures, but I'm glad we were able to have good discussions at this workshop. I believe this is a huge step forward for the field of gender equality in sports.

　Based on the content of this workshop, follow-up progress reports for each country are planned for the future. Efforts will continue to develop evidence-based sports policies that incorporate a gender mainstreaming perspective.