From December 7 to 9, 2025, the African continent will be buzzing with the International Conference on Women and Sport in Africa (CIFSA), a unique event dedicated to promoting female leadership and equal opportunities in sport.

Under the theme "Sport and Women's Leadership," this meeting will bring together decision-makers, athletes, experts, and young leaders around a common goal: to make this activity a lever for empowering women and girls in Africa. Over three days, CIFSA will offer a series of activities combining reflection, training, and celebration.

For Louisette Renée Thobi, Secretary General of CONFEJES (Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie), this conference marks a pivotal moment. “This conference marks a historic step. We want to make it a first, less than a year before the International Conference on Women and Sport scheduled for Birmingham in June 2026. The objective is to embody our shared desire to bring about change in sport. Each stakeholder has a role to play in ensuring that the recommendations lead to concrete, sustainable, and measurable actions,” she stated at a press conference this Tuesday.

Building on the Olympic Charter, the African Union (AU) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, CIFSA aims to lay the foundations for a more equitable and ambitious future for women's sport on the continent.

"Women members of the various sports federations are invited to come and share their experiences, because to have more women ministers, coaches, technical directors or players, we must first create a space for dialogue and training," stressed Ms. Thobi.

“We continue to fight for access. There has been significant progress: thirty years ago, seeing a woman at the IOC, FIFA or CAF was almost anecdotal. But the responsibility also lies with women, who must mobilize, train themselves and seek out these positions,” she added.