PANEL ON SPORTS DIPLOMACY & DEVELOPMENT The panel will feature a diverse group of women for whom sports served as a force for change, with a particular focus on how sports serve as a critical tool for the advancement of women and girls around the world.

The U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Pamela Hamamoto, will kick off the panel with personal insights into how participation in sports empowers women and girls, and better positions them for success in whatever path they choose to follow. She will highlight the passage of the U.S. “Title IX” as a game changer that significantly increased opportunities for female athletes across the country, although much work remains with respect to gender equality in sports.