WORLD BRIDGE FEDERATION

Anna Maria Torlontano
WBF Women Committee Chairman
WBF Protocol Committee Chairman

Women's Committee Report to the IOC

First of all I would like to tell you that I am very happy and proud to have been appointed Chairman of the World Women's Committee – you know already, I suppose, that on this Women's Committee there are very capable and experienced members, each one representing and responsible for the co-ordination of the work in the countries belonging to his/her zone.

Of course we have to proceed step-by-step – it is pointless for the moment to speak about a programme for Women's Bridge Worldwide.

As a first step I wrote to all the Federation Presidents a letter explaining in detail the exact situation of Women's Bridge, in the light of our entrance in the International Olympic Committee, the aims that we would like to achieve, stressing the importance of their collaboration, their goodwill and confidence in us – I asked them to let us know, in a kind of questionnaire, all the information about the Women's Bridge in their country.

The Women's Committee will have one or more meetings here in Maastricht in which we will be able or, at least, will try to discuss our aims and goals and talk about a programme to promote Women's Bridge worldwide. I hope to let you know something more precise later in the item: WBF Committee Reports.

For the moment I am attaching a copy of the letter written to the NBOs and the names of the WBF Zonal representatives/coordinators.

Referring to what José said about the promotion of the integration of women into the decision making process, being a woman myself, and part of the WBF administration, I sent, with the approval of José, a report written by me to Mrs Mascagni, the Chief of the sector for women's advancement within the IOC.

This report was presented at the end of May 2000 to a Congress consisting of the Presidents and Officials from the European Federation, and shows how myself, as Chairman of the World Women's Committee, together with the World Bridge Federation as a whole, share the ideas and aims of IOC about the need to promote, within the International Bridge Federations, the integration of women not only within the sport itself but also into the decision making process, in the field of public relations, in the administration of the sport organisations on exactly the same footing as men .