Our origins
WSLA began as a programme of the Anita White Foundation (AWF) at the University of Chichester in 2013, and was developed and delivered by the AWF, Females Achieving Brilliance and the University of Hertfordshire until 2020
Dr Anita White OBE (fourth from right) with Enkhtsatsral from Mongolia (second left), Nadica from N.Macedonia (third from left), Suvarna from India (fourth from right) and Khalida from Denmark/Afghanistan (third from right), who were all supported by the AWF to attend WSLA 2019
Dr Lucy Piggott completed a charity trek to raise money that supported Vasu (l) and Evgenia (r) to attend WSLA 2017
AWF supported participants
45 participants from the following 23 countries were financially supported to attend a WSLA residential week by the AWF. They were afforded either a registration fee waiver, a grant to cover their travel requirements, or both.
Australia
Argentina
Bangladesh
Botswana
Burundi
Denmark (Afghanistan)
Guatemala
Kenya
India
Japan
Laos
Macedonia
Malawi
Mongolia
Nepal
Nigeria
PNG
Russia
St Lucia
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Zimbabwe
AWF supported facilitators
The AWF provided financial assistance to graduates to return to WSLA and be trained as facilitators by FAB (Pauline, Lucy and Barbara):
2016 - Rachel Muthoga (2014 graduate; Executive Director, Moving the Goalposts Kilifi, Kenya) and Caroline Nyamande (2015 graduate; Women's Cricket Coordinator, Zimbabwe Cricket)
2017 - Nisha Rupnarain (2014 graduate; Coach Developer, Netball South Africa) and Tsosi Magang (2016 graduate; Vice President, Women and Sport Botswana)
2018 - Tikwiza Silubonde (2017 graduate; Assistant Programme Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat, Zambia)
2019 - Game Mothibi (2015 graduate; Global Executive Member, International Working Group on Women and Sport) and Betty Lallie (2016 graduate; Executive Director, SCORE South Africa)
Betty and Game (second and third from right) were both supported by the AWF to be facilitators at the WSLA 2019 residential week. Rachel (centre) was supported in 2016
“I was very happy to represent my country in the field of leadership in sports for women with disabilities. My journey would not have been possible without the financial support of the AWF. Attending this leadership training has played a very pivotal role by helping me recognise my weaknesses and strengths in the field of leadership. It helps me to know about myself and how I could be an addition to my organisation to achieve clearly set goals."
Gomadevi (Nepal Boccia Association for the Disabled)
“"Having attended WSLA as a participant in 2017, I was able to return as a facilitator due to the incredible support provided by the AWF. As a trainee facilitator, I had the privilege of participating in two days of facilitator training before residential programme began. The training helped develop my facilitation skills, build my confidence, and provided me with a toolbox resources of I can use in the future. I returned from WSLA energised, full of ideas and eager to continue advancing the cause of women in sport leadership."
Tikwiza (Commonwealth Secretariat)