The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Equity Commission showcased the power of Pacific-led collaboration at the International Working Group (IWG) Global Summit on Women and Sport, as outgoing IWG Executive Board member and ONOC Equity Commission member Carolyn Ngiraidis reflected on Oceania's remarkable journey towards building a safer, more equitable sporting landscape.
Speaking immediately after ONOC Vice President Emma Waiwai's Pacific welcome at the Oceania Continental Session, Ngiraidis shared a personal reflection on four years of service on both the ONOC Equity Commission and the IWG Executive Board, highlighting how Oceania's vision has evolved into tangible action across the region.
"Our vision has always been simple but ambitious that sport is safe, equitable and a unifying force," Ngiraidis said.
"While the IWG and Oceania may approach this work differently, we walk and talk the same vision. We are both committed to creating environments where women and girls can thrive through sport."
Ngiraidis outlined how the ONOC Equity Commission has translated this vision into practical outcomes by strengthening women's leadership, creating pathways for athletes, coaches, officials and administrators, and embedding safeguarding as a cornerstone of sport across Oceania.
She pointed to initiatives such as the New Zealand Olympic Committee's Wahine Toa leadership programme and the region's growing network of trained safeguarding officers as examples of meaningful progress.
Throughout her address, Ngiraidis returned to a powerful refrain that resonated throughout the session:
"Yes we can. Yes we did."
She reflected on how a conversation initiated during the 2022 IWG Global Summit in Auckland around the International Olympic Committee's International Safeguarding Framework became the catalyst for a much broader movement in Oceania.
That dialogue ultimately led to the creation of the Blue Pacific Talanoa: Building an Inclusive Safe Sport Ecosystem,bringing together the ONOC Equity Commission, UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, the Australian Governments Sport for Development Programme Team Up, Olympism365 and Olympic Solidarity.
"What emerged was not a project, but a network," Ngiraidis said.
"What emerged was the power of networking and combining resources and technical expertise needed to drive real and systemic change."
She described the Oceania Impact Network (OIN) as a partnership built on trust, equity, accountability and mutual benefit demonstrating that sustainable systems change is achieved not through isolated interventions but through organisations choosing to share power, resources and responsibility over time.
Addressing delegates from across the world, Ngiraidis challenged participants to see the Pacific not simply as a recipient of development support, but as a region offering a practical model for collaborative leadership.
"You are not about to hear the story of one organisation's success," she told delegates.
"You are about to hear what it actually looks like when funders, regional sporting bodies, UN agencies and grassroots actors choose collective ownership over individual credit. I believe it is one of the most replicable models this region has to offer to the rest of the world."
ONOC Executive Director and Oceania Impact Network Governance Team member Inoke Bainimarama said Carolyn's remarks reflected the strength of the partnerships that have shaped Oceania's approach to advancing gender equality through sport.
"Carolyn has been part of this journey from its earliest conversations through to the establishment of the Oceania Impact Network. Her reflections reminded delegates that meaningful systems change is built on relationships, trust and a willingness to share leadership."
"The Pacific has shown that when regional sporting organisations, governments, development partners, communities and the Olympic Movement work together around a shared vision, we can create safer, more inclusive sporting environments that deliver lasting impact. That is the blueprint we were proud to share with the global sport community."
Concluding her address, Ngiraidis acknowledged the many current and former members of the ONOC Equity Commission, her colleagues on the IWG Executive Board and the leadership of ONOC President Baklai Temengil, recognising the collective effort that has shaped Oceania's progress over the past decade.
Her remarks provided the foundation for the Continental Session's exploration of the Oceania Impact Network, before delegates viewed the documentary Breaking Ground and participated in a Pacific Talanoa examining how trust-based, Pacific-led partnerships can transform gender equality through sport.
The session formed part of ONOC's contribution to the IWG Global Summit on Women and Sport in Birmingham, showcasing the Blue Pacific Talanoa: Building an Inclusive and Safe Sport Ecosysrem as a model for collective action that can be adapted and replicated across regions.
