The Olympic Committee of North Macedonia (NOC MKD) is a partner of the Erasmus+ project “Guidance to Achieve More Equal Leadership in Sport” (GAMES). NOC MKD organised the National Launching Event on October 31st. This was attended by relevant national and regional sport organisations, as well as policy makers, among others. The target audience for the event included National Federations (NFs), policy-makers, sports clubs, sportspeople, and sports journalists. The event was attended by 37 participants.

The National Launching Event presented the GAMES project, its objectives and relevance. Accordingly, it aimed to present its main deliverables including the Baseline Study and its main finding on gender equality at the national level, the Global Pool of Actions and NOC MKD’s National Action Plan. Therefore, the current challenges in the realm of gender equality in leadership were addressed through open discussion/workshops which in turn allowed for the development of cooperation between relevant national/regional stakeholders. NOC MKD’s National Launching Event. The event was structured into four parts:

The first part featured speeches by the NOC president and an IOC representative (online), along with an overview of the GAMES project. This segment delved into the GAMES Project and its relevance, the main findings on gender equality in sports at the national level, and the Pool of Action. This involved presenting data, research, and insights that were instrumental in identifying existing gender disparities, challenges, and
opportunities for improvement within the country's sports community. The second part included a panel discussion involving prominent female and male sports leaders who shared valuable insights and experiences. The third part involved a comprehensive and in-depth presentation of the National Action Plan on GE. This phase was crucial in conveying the specifics of the plan, outlining its key components, and highlighting the strategies and initiatives designed to promote gender equality within the context of sports. In the fourth part of the National Launching Event, the emphasis was on summarising the key insights and lessons learned throughout the event and presenting the upcoming events and activities related to gender equality in sport.

Hence, the National Launching Event aimed to share NOC MKD’s National Action Plan whilst further promoting knowledge and information regarding the current situation and foreseen future actions in terms of gender equality in leadership positions. Besides, the National Launching Event served as a springboard to develop measures to promote gender equality in sport leadership in the national ecosystem whilst being a valuable opportunity to further encourage networking and cooperation among relevant stakeholders.