SUVA, FIJI — The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and the Oceania Impact Network (OIN) today jointly launched Waves of Impact: Her Right to Play, their International Women's Day 2026 campaign, calling on pacific women, athletes and aspiring athletes, and extending to National Olympic Committees, leaders, and administrators across Oceania, the campaign invites the wider Olympic Movement and our partners — to stand united for the right of every woman and girl to participate in sport fully, safely and equally, advancing an inclusive and safe sporting ecosystem that contributes to a Pacific region free from violence and discrimination, amplified through the collective voice of the Oceania Impact Network and its founding partners.

The campaign, which runs throughout March 2026, is anchored in the United Nations' IWD 2026 theme: "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls." Co-delivered for the first time by ONOC and OIN, it marks both a deliberate shift from celebration to advocacy and the public debut of the Oceania Impact Network as a visible, active force in Pacific sport.

A Campaign Built on Two Historic Foundations

Her Right to Play launches against the backdrop of two landmark developments in Pacific sport governance. In May 2025, Baklai Temengil-Chilton of Palau was elected ONOC President — the first woman to lead the organisation in its 45-year history. And in late 2022, the Oceania Impact Network (OIN) was formed by the ONOC Equity Commission, UN Women Multi county office, Team Up - the Australian Government’s sport for development program and later including the IOC through Olympic Solidarity and Olympism365. Housed at ONOC, since 2025 with dedicated Secretariat support and Co-ordinator, OIN in a catalytic backbone for gender equity, inclusion, and the prevention of violence in and through Pacific sport,

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ONOC President Baklai Temengil-Chilton said, “This is not a symbolic campaign — it is a line in the sand.When I was elected President of ONOC, I knew representation alone was not enough. Visibility matters, but systems matter more. Her Right to Play is about building those systems so that every woman and girl in the Pacific can participate in sport fully, safely and equally.

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The Oceania Impact Network is how we move from words to structure. It is embedding safeguarding standards so girls can train without fear. It is creating leadership pathways, so women are present where decisions are made. It is investing in communities so access to sport is not determined by geography or power. And it is shifting the narrative — so women athletes are seen, heard and valued. Her Right to Play is our public commitment to accelerate that change — intentionally, collectively, and for the long term.”

The Oceania Impact Network — A New Force for Pacific Sport

IWD 2026 marks the OIN's first major communications moment.  

The OIN sets out to redefine the field of play: embedding safeguarding to protect every woman and girl, harnessing sport’s power to unite and include every community, and placing gender equality at the heart of leadership. By bringing together institutional expertise from across the Olympic Movement and development sector.

These goals align directly with the four rights pillars at the heart of Her Right to Play.  
The network's active and interconnected workstreams — developing women leaders, building safeguarding capability, qualifying sport officials, advancing grassroots inclusion, shifting social norms, and driving policy change —provide the programme evidence that grounds the campaign's advocacy in demonstrated Pacific outcomes.

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“The Oceania Impact Network exists because the systems that hold inequality in place don't change on their own. But change is possible when we act together; guided by our Blue Pacific identity and the values of trust, equity, and mutual benefit.“ said Ala-Cassandra Singh OIN Co-ordinator.

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“Through this campaign, we want the Pacific (and the world) to know that the work is happening, safeguarding is being embedded, communities are being united, and leaders are being empowered to create an inclusive and safe sport ecosystem. Her right to play is not a slogan. It is what we show up for everyday”

A Pacific-Wide Movement- Pledge Activation

Yet the global context underscores why this work must continue, and why it must accelerate. Globally, women hold only 64 percent of the legal rights that men hold, and at current rates, it will take 286 years to close legal protection gaps. One in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. In the Pacific, ONOC is demonstrating that change is possible, having exceeded IOC gender equity targets across its governance structures. But the work of transforming systems requires sustained, collective effort.

Given this context, ONOC is cascading its IWD campaign to all 17 member NOCs simultaneously through a dedicated toolkit, Transforming a moment of celebration into a coordinated, region-wide force for change. This is not a solo effort; it is a united front. OIN founding partners, are amplifying the campaign across their own channels, ensuring that the message reaches every corner of the Pacific and beyond.

At the campaign's centre are Pacific women athletes themselves, sharing their stories through the lens of four rights pillars: the right to participate, the right to lead, the right to compete safely, and the right to be seen. The ONOC Athletes' Commission is coordinating contributor identification and story collection across the region, with priority given to athletes connected to OIN programme networks—ensuring that those already driving change are the ones whose voices lead the way.

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“Every story shared, every pledge taken, every policy enacted—they are the threads that weave a movement," said Liz Dawson, Chair of the ONOC Equity Commission.  

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"We invite every National Olympic Committee, every club, every coach, every athlete, and every supporter to submit pledges and share the inspiration unfolding in your communities. Show us the girls' team, taking the field. Show us the safeguarding workshop, that filled a room. Show us the women, stepping into a leadership role, no woman has held before. These are the moments that prove change is real. Send them to us.

Let us collect these stories and celebrate our women and the communities that support them, as proof of what Oceania can build together. This is how we ensure that Her Right to Play is not just a campaign—it is a legacy."

Pledge Activation

Share your pledge, story, or photo via this form using the hashtag #HerRightToPlay. Stories will be featured across ONOC and OIN partner channels throughout March and beyond, building a lasting archive of the movement toward an inclusive and safe Pacific sport ecosystem.