Building on the success of the first event in 2012, this year’s two-day FIA Women in Motorsport Seminar (7-8 October) is entitled Making a Difference and is aimed at discussing key issues that affect women in motorsport. All ASN/ACN Women in Motorsport National Representatives, new and existing, are invited to attend the Seminar. If your ASN/ACN hasn’t yet nominated your WiM National Representative, now is a good time to make a nomination and for them to attend the seminar and meet their peers. The FIA will meet the costs of 1 room for 2 nights (Thursday 6th and Friday 7th October) for the WiM National Representatives.

ASN or ACN Presidents, or members of the WiM Groups are also welcome to register to join the event. Registration is open now, click here to go to the registrations page. The closing date is 23 September 2016.

Hosted by the Portuguese club, Automovel Club de Portugal (ACP), and its President, Carlos Barbosa, ASN/ACN Presidents, National Representatives, invited guests and speakers from across the globe will gather in the beautiful city of Lisbon to share knowledge and ideas, as well as formulate plans that will further encourage and identify opportunities for women in the sport. Click here to view the event programme. 

Compered by broadcaster Louise Beckett, the seminar will focus on a variety of areas. It will begin by looking back at the success stories of recent years, reviewing the recommendations made by the National Representatives at the 2012 Seminar and considering how these can be built upon.

FIA President Jean Todt said, “The involvement of women in every aspect of motorsport is something that is very important to me and I will continue to promote and support it as much as possible.

“We are fortunate that ours is one of very few sports where all people can compete on a level playing field, not just in driving but also engineering, team management, media and so on, so we must lead the way in creating equal opportunities and encouraging participation through education. This will have benefits not just on the sport side, but also in road safety.”

A variety of high-profile speakers will add their input to the discussion, including Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, Silvia Bellot, the first and currently only FIA Formula One steward, Jutta Kleindschmidt, winner of the Paris Dakar Rally and Nathalie McGloin, an inspirational tetraplegic racing driver. Among the FIA representatives will also be Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker.

With a combination of plenary sessions, interactive sessions and discussion groups, attention will turn to the plan for the future, and the strategy for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and all national sporting organisations at all levels for the next four years will be established.

Challenges facing women in all areas of motorsport, from competition to volunteering, stewarding and roles in the media, will be addressed. Bringing people together in this way will help to create a cohesive system that will make a significant difference and continue to push motorsport towards a totally equal and inclusive future.

As you are the people representing women in motorsport, we call upon you to attend the seminar and share your experiences and good ideas to really make a difference in the sport.

Find out more about FIA Women in Motorsport here.