A little over 100 years ago, trailblazer Dorothy Bilson paved the way for gymnastics to become a leading sport for women and girls as she was crowned the first ever women’s national champion. A century on, there will be another milestone moment championing gender equality at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics British Championships in Liverpool on Saturday as gymnastics unites to sign the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport’s ‘Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration’.
Taking to the stage before the gymnasts enter the arena for the All Around competition on Saturday afternoon, British Gymnastics CEO Sarah Powell will be joined to sign the declaration by special guest Morinari Watanabe, President of World Gymnastics, alongside Paul Lipton (English Gymnastics), Robyn Hastings (Gymnastics Northern Ireland), Doc McKelvey (Scottish Gymnastics), and Siwan Mair (Welsh Gymnastics).
In doing so, the signatories will commit to ensuring women and girls can freely and safely participate, compete, and build careers in sport and physical activity by addressing the major barriers they face through real and lasting systemic change.
Bringing the six organisations together to sign the landmark declaration is one of the actions being taken by British Gymnastics as part of its ‘She Leaps’ initiative to build female empowerment in and through gymnastics – with an ambition to maximise the positive impact gymnastics has for women and girls, and for our society.
In a collective statement British Gymnastics and all five of the Home Nation associations, said: “Gymnastics is one of the only sports that is predominantly female across all aspects – participants, workforce and fanbase – and that’s what makes our sport so important for our society. Gymnastics helps young girls have a happy and healthy start in life, supports women at the other end of the age spectrum through our amazing Love to Move seated gymnastics programme, and creates opportunities for those in between to start and build careers in sport.
“We’re proud of where a start in gymnastics can take you – and the societal impact that has for women and girls. Becoming signatories of the IWG Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration and being joined by World Gymnastics to do so reflects our united commitment to maximising that impact, and ensuring that through gymnastics women and girls in the UK have the chance to be active, and enjoy and be part of sport.”
First launched in Brighton in 1994 and reinforced in Helsinki in 2014, the IWG Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration now has the backing of more than 600 organisations worldwide. World Gymnastics is already a signatory but will be re-signing the declaration to reaffirm its commitment and encourage more gymnastics national federations around the world to join the movement.
Morinari Watanabe, President of World Gymnastics, said: “Reaffirming our commitment to the IWG Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration is an important milestone. World Gymnastics is dedicated to ensuring that women and girls can participate, compete, and thrive safely and confidently, promoting an environment that supports their growth, development, and achievements at every level of the sport.”
The IWG Women and Sport is the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing equity and equality for women and girls in sport and physical activity. Their goal is simple: they want more women and girls everywhere to have the chance to be active and enjoy sport – and that is a goal that everyone in gymnastics is right behind.
This is an important year for the UK as the current host of the IWG secretariat, with the quadrennial IWG Global Summit being held in Birmingham on 9th – 11th July.
Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Chair of the IWG UK Secretariat and Co-Chair of the Global Executive, will be representing IWG at the signing and said: “This joint commitment by British Gymnastics and the four nations of the United Kingdom, alongside the re-commitment of World Gymnastics sends a strong message of intention about the priorities of gymnastics at all levels.
“I am delighted that these new and renewed signatories are happening during our tenure as secretariat of the IWG in the UK, in the build up to the Global Summit in Birmingham in July and, for many of my generation, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nadia Commenci’s perfect 10 at the Olympic Games in Montreal.”
You can read more about British Gymnastics’ She Leaps initiative at www.british-gymnastics.org, and find out more about the IWG and the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration at www.iwgwomenandsport.org.
