The ITF announced the launch of a new programme, ‘Empowering Female Leaders’, to improve gender equality in leadership positions within tennis on a worldwide basis through a variety of educational opportunities.

The initiative will be supported for the next three years by the Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD), which has provided the ITF with a grant of $375,000  to fund workshops, education courses and professional development for women in sport. This is in line with the ITF2024 strategy whose key priorities include upholding the highest levels of governance, and the increase in development funding to grow tennis around the world.

The ITF and GSD’s goal is to elevate more women to leadership positions within tennis across all regions. The opportunities will cover a broad range of stakeholders, such as administrators, coaches, officials and volunteers.

Each year, the ITF will provide funding for at least one female delegate from each region to attend the ITF’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference. The 2018 ITF Conference and AGM will take place in August in Orlando, Florida.

The announcement of the ‘Empowering Female Leaders’ programme follows the creation of the ITF’s Women in Sport Committee in December 2017. The committee, chaired by USTA President and ITF Vice President Katrina Adams, will advise and make recommendations to the ITF Board of Directors on ways of promoting equal opportunities for girls and women to participate in tennis and the leadership of the sport.

ITF President David Haggerty said: “The ITF is proud to be leading initiatives to ensure that equal opportunities for women in sport, and particularly tennis, are no longer difficult to come by. I am confident that the ‘Empowering Female Leaders’ programme will deliver a better future our sport through improved diversity of skills and perspectives at the leadership level. I look forward to seeing many of these female participants exhibit their leadership skills nationally, regionally and internationally in the coming months and years. I would also like to thank GSD for their important contribution to this very important initiative.”

GSD executive board member Dr. Steven Ungerleider said: “By supporting the ITF and the ‘Empowering Female Leaders’ programme, we believe we are encouraging future generations of young women to participate in sport and take on active leadership roles.”

Fellow board member David Ulich added: “We know that gender equity ensures that everyone can experience the benefits and joys of sport. Training sessions and networking opportunities are critical to building the next group of female leaders in sport.”

More information about the programme will be released in due course.