News

Britain’s Self to head women’s commission

SJA vice-chair Janine Self has accepted an invitation to become secretary general of the AIPS women’s commission – a new body set up by the international sports press organisation.

Janine Self: new task for women sports journalists
Janine Self: new task for women sports journalists

The aims of the commission are to raise the profile of women sports journalists all over the world, to highlight inequality and to encourage more women into a field which has traditionally been predominately male.

Laima Janusonyte-Steinhoff, a long-time officer of AIPS, is the liaison-coordinator of the commission, which includes women from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The first target is to build a worldwide database of women sports journalists but long-term projects include the mentoring and training of young women, seminars and workshops.

Self helped prepare a submission to the parliamentary select committee on culture, media and sport for their women-in-sport enquiry last year and is enthusiastic about the new project.

“We had our first meeting this week and the energy and drive of the commission members shone through,” Self said.

“Different countries have different issues – did you know that around 40 per cent of sports journalists from Belarus are women, for example?

“But there is a common goal, and that is to support and promote women sports journalists, wherever they come from.”

The women’s commission can be found on Facebook and on Twitter @aipswomen


UPCOMING SJA EVENTS

Mon Sep 8: SJA Autumn Golf Day, Muswell Hill GC – non-members very welcome

Thu Dec 11: SJA British Sports Awards, sponsored by The National Lottery, at the Grand Connaught Rooms