EL SALVADOR.- The Olympic Committee of El Salvador held the first forum entitled “The Challenges of Women in Leadership”, in a hotel in the capital, representing a historic event contemplated in the ten-year strategic plan of the Salvadoran organization.

This forum represented the reactivation and officialization of the Women and Sports Commission of the ESA Olympic Committee, which is composed of Claudia de Hernández, President of the commission, Carmen de Bruni, Rebeca Sánchez-Bukele, Sandra de Uceda, Aida Granillo, Cecilia Hernández, Carmen Orellana, Diana de Mejía, María José Martínez, Blanca Cubillas and Fanny Saravia.

Among the personalities present were Armando Bruni, President of the Olympic Committee of El Salvador, Yamil Bukele, President ad-honorem of the National Sports Institute and the Organizing Committee of the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023, Leticia Escobar, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador (CAMARASAL), Veronica Castro, President of Vital Voices, Emilia Perez, public relations, Vijosa Laboratory and Brenda Dominguez, ad-honorem officer of gender affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Also present at the forum were athletes, coaches and presidents of national sports federations, such as badminton, skating, mountaineering, field hockey, handball, gymnastics, among others.

The words of welcome were given by the President of Panam Sports; Neven Ilic, who highlighted and valued the birth of the commission led by women in sport, an important entity in the Olympic movement.

“Finally El Salvador will have its Women and Sport Commission, in a very entertaining forum, where they will be able to share different topics. For Panam Sports and the International Olympic Committee it is a duty to encourage countries to have this commission in order to develop multiple ways of how women are important in this organization,” said the Pan American leader.

For her part, Claudia de Hernandez, President of the Commission in Team ESA, said she was honored by the program that has the support of the local Committee, as well as the IOC.

“The Women and Sport Commission seeks to support the integral development of women and girls in national sport, implementing strategies for their leadership and development, and if we all make the decision to leave biases and prejudices behind; we support the development, participation and leadership that women bring to our society,” said the sports leader.

Yamil Bukele, President ad-honorem of INDES and COSSAN 2023, highlighted the importance of this forum led by women and applauded the support of COES for this first meeting.

“I want to congratulate the President, Armando Bruni and the executive committee of the Executive Committee of the ESA Olympic Committee for reactivating a commission as important as that of women and sport,” Bukele concluded in his speech.

On his side, Armano Bruni, President of COES, reminded those present that the ESA Olympic Committee has a strategic plan for the next ten years, and in this as one of the policies is to work with the commission of women and sport to encourage all women from athletes to leaders for decision making.

Afterwards, the President of the Olympic Committee of El Salvador, Armando Bruni made an act of investiture by placing a pin that distinguishes the members of the commission of women and sport, and also swore them in to ensure the dissemination of the Olympic movement and the Olympic agenda 2020+5.

The forum was attended by Diana de Mejia, president of the Salvadoran golf federation as moderator, Melissa Mikec OLY athlete, Diana Escobar, sports journalist, Blanca Cubillas, president of the Salvadoran Goalball Association and Aída Granillo, president of the Salvadoran bowling federation.

“This is tremendously wonderful as athletes, women especially, that we are facing from the moment we start as athletes, and all the questions that girl athletes may have on how to do high performance,” said Melissa Mikec, OLY athlete.

Meanwhile Diana Escobar, said “credibility is gained based on knowledge, so I think that where we develop as professionals and women, that’s what it is, prepare ourselves, study and constantly be making inroads.

During the forum, the speakers talked about the challenges they had to face to reach the positions in which they are now professionally demonstrating how they have everything to be leaders in different areas.

^{Source: Press COES}