Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou, from Togo, has been named Woman of the Year during the broadcast of the World Athletics Awards 2023, marking the continuation of announcements following the revelation of a winner on Monday. This distinction highlights her “outstanding” commitment to promoting women’s rights and gender equality in the sports domain, according to the global governing body for athletics.
As the President of the Togolese Athletics Federation, Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou has been praised for her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment, showcased through a series of transformative initiatives throughout 2023 that profoundly impacted Togo’s sports landscape.
Among the campaigns is ‘Girls Together for Sport and for Life,’ which encouraged women’s participation in sports and raised awareness among girls in remote areas of Togo. The ‘Program for the Promotion of Women’s Sport in Togo’ also featured a women’s race, bringing together 1500 participants from across the country.
Another project celebrated role models who overcame obstacles, encouraging parents to register the births of girls and enroll them in school. As a result, 90% of girls returned to school for the 2023 academic year, compared to 40% in 2022, according to World Athletics.
The organization adds that Tchanile-Salifou’s commitment to challenging stereotypes and promoting women in leadership roles led to the ‘Feminization of Governing Bodies’ project. This resulted in an increase in the number of female club presidents from five to nine and the establishment of four women-led commissions within the Togolese Athletics Federation, promoting greater gender diversity in decision-making bodies.
“It is a privilege and an honor for me to have been named Woman of the Year by World Athletics for 2023,” said Tchanile-Salifou. “It is an honour that I would like to share with all my team; together we have worked with young girls and young women to help them reach more autonomy, more leadership opportunities, more equity and more participation opportunities. This has enabled some of them to free themselves from their precarious situations and given them the opportunity to practice sports”, she added.
This marks the second announcement of the World Athletics Awards 2023. On Monday, Laurent Meuwly was announced as the winner of the Coaching Achievement Award, with further announcements scheduled in the coming days before the Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars are revealed during the ceremony on Monday, December 11.
