UNESCO and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour

• © UNESCO / M. Ravassard

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the world’s leading global sport for women, announced a landmark global partnership to further gender equality and promote women’s leadership in all spheres of society.

The social responsibility program, which draws upon the history of the Tour and players in fighting for equality, and the idea for which came about through the Iguales campaign at the Tour’s season-ending event in Madrid, marks a new level of commitment by the Tour and players to raise awareness of gender equality issues and advance opportunities for women. The program also represents the first time that UNESCO, the only organization of the UN system with a mandate for education, science and culture which are most critical for laying the grounds for gender equality, is partnering with a professional sports league for this objective embraced by all world leaders (2005 World Summit Outcome). UNESCO, with a Section specifically devoted to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, is committed to mainstreaming gender equality considerations in all its programs, globally and at the country level.