The Pacific regional Raising Innovative Sport Enablers (RISE) Programme showcased how locally led investment in women and girls is helping transform sport across Oceania during the 2026 International Working Group (IWG) Global Summit on Women and Sport.
Summer Sanders, RISE Project Officer based at the Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC), the lead implementing organisation for the regional RISE Programme, participated in the Summit, reflecting the programme's commitment to developing women leaders, creating inclusive sporting environments and strengthening opportunities for women and persons with disabilities across the Pacific.
The RISE Programme aligns strongly with the IWG Global Summit's 2026 theme, Strong(er) Together: Creating Global Change, demonstrating how partnerships between National Olympic Committees, governments, regional organisations and development partners can deliver meaningful and sustainable change within communities.
Supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Women Lead programme, the RISE Programme has spent the past two years investing in leadership pathways for women through sport.
The initiative delivers capacity-building opportunities across safeguarding, emotional intelligence, sport administration, mentorship and leadership development, while encouraging greater participation of women and persons with disabilities throughout the sporting movement.
Speaking following the Summit, Summer said attending IWG had reinforced the transformative role that sport can play in building confidence, resilience and leadership among women.
"My experience as a first-time participant at the IWG Global Summit on Women and Sport has been incredibly enlightening. One of my biggest takeaways is that sport is a powerful vehicle for building resilience and confidence in women," she said.
"I'm excited to take what I've learned back to Palau and incorporate these ideas into the programmes we deliver. Our goal is not only to support women athletes but to encourage them to become positive agents within their communities."
ONOC Executive Director Inoke Bainimarama said the RISE Programme demonstrated how Pacific-led initiatives were translating the conversations taking place at the IWG Global Summit into practical action across communities.
"The strength of programmes like RISE lies in their ability to connect global conversations with local action. What delegates experienced in Birmingham is already being translated into practical initiatives that are strengthening communities across the Pacific."
"The Olympic Movement has an important role to play in creating safe, inclusive and equitable sporting environments. Through partnerships and programmes such as RISE, we are building leadership pathways that enable women and girls to thrive not only in sport, but as leaders within their communities."
He said the programme exemplified how collaboration between National Olympic Committees, development partners and local communities could accelerate gender equality while strengthening leadership across Oceania.
Summer's participation formed part of ONOC's broader Oceania presence at the IWG Global Summit, where delegates shared Pacific-led approaches to advancing gender equality through the Oceania Impact Network, highlighting collaborative leadership, safeguarding, participatory grantmaking and community-driven solutions.
Across the Summit, a consistent message emerged: when women are empowered through sport, the benefits extend well beyond the playing field—strengthening families, communities and future generations.
For the RISE Programme, the experience reinforced that global conversations become most powerful when they inspire local action. As the programme continues to expand across the Pacific, it demonstrates how investing in women leaders today will help create stronger, safer and more inclusive sporting communities for generations to come.
About the RISE Programme
The RISE (Raising Innovative Sport Enablers) Programme is a Pacific regional initiative led by the Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC), which serves as the programme's lead implementing organisation.
Supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Women Lead programme, RISE strengthens opportunities for women, girls and persons with disabilities to lead and participate in sport through education, safeguarding, mentorship, emotional intelligence and leadership development.
Initially established in Palau, the programme is now also being delivered in partnership with the Nauru National Olympic Committee, reflecting a growing regional commitment to invest in women leaders and build safer, more inclusive sporting environments across Oceania.
Through collaboration with the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and regional partners, the RISE Programme contributes to the Olympic Movement's commitment to gender equality, leadership development and safe sport throughout the Pacific.
