Good afternoon, Madam Chair and distinguished members of the committee. My name is Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, and I am the chief executive officer of Canadian Women and Sport. My pronouns are she and her.
Canadian Women and Sport is a national non-profit with a 42-year history of work as the leading voice and authority on women and sport. We believe in the power of sport as a platform for advancing equity for women across all areas of society. As such, we are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive sports system that empowers women and girls as participants and leaders within sport and also through sport.
As our mission implies, our focus is on systems change, working with organizations and leaders on solutions that will permanently improve the sport system. Through our research, advocacy and programs, we empower sport organizations and leaders to bring gender equity to life in their work.
In doing this work, we work extensively across all levels of the sport system and all provinces and territories. In 2021-22 alone, we engaged and impacted 2,700 sport leaders and more than 750 sport organization. I share this as evidence of our unique and extensive insight into the process of systems change across the sport system.
On the subject of safe sport, and specifically on how to create a truly safe, welcoming and inclusive sport system, I wish to share the following insights and observations.