The Global Alliance for Female Athletes (GAFA) today proudly announces the addition of five internationally recognized partners – Canadian Olympic Committee & Canadian Paralympic Committee, French Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP), German Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT), Japan High Performance Sport Center/ Japan Sport Council and Swiss Olympic Association –marking a major step forward in its mission to improve the health, performance, and longevity of female athletes around the world.
The expansion reflects GAFA’s commitment to building a truly collaborative global network dedicated to sharing scientifically rigorous, medically vetted, and culturally relevant resources that support female athletes at every stage of life and across every sport. Each of the new member nations brings internationally respected expertise in sports medicine, sport science, performance, research, and athlete care. Their participation strengthens GAFA’s ability to accelerate the development, translation, and dissemination of evidence-based information that can be adapted and implemented across diverse sporting systems.
“Female athletes everywhere deserve access to the highest quality information and care, regardless of where they train or compete,” said Amber Donaldson, GAFA chair. “By bringing together leading experts from across the world, we are creating a collaborative ecosystem that elevates the standard of care globally while recognizing the unique needs and contexts of each nation.”
With these additions, GAFA continues to grow as an international community committed to closing longstanding gaps in knowledge about female athletes’ health. Through close cooperation, member organizations can avoid duplication and work together to identify best practices, translate emerging research into practical resources, and make trusted information more accessible to athletes, coaches, clinicians, and sport organizations worldwide.
The newest partners join four existing Alliance members:
- The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) https://www.ausport.gov.au/
- UK Sports Institute (UKSI) https://uksportsinstitute.co.uk/
- High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) https://hpsnz.org.nz/
- United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) https://www.usopc.org/
Together, these organizations will continue to develop and share evidence-based educational resources, collaborate on research initiatives, and advance best practices that support female athletes throughout their lifespan.
As the Alliance continues to expand, its vision remains clear: to ensure that female athletes—regardless of nationality, sport, or competitive level—have access to trusted, science-based information that enables them to thrive in sport and beyond.
The addition of these five nations represents not only growth in membership but also growth in collective expertise, global collaboration, and a shared commitment to improving the future of female athletes’ health.
Participant Statements
Canadian Olympic Committee & Canadian Paralympic Committee : “Canada has been a global leader in research on female athlete health, and the Global Alliance for Female Athletes brings together world-leading experts to share trusted, science-based knowledge. Together, we’re expanding access to trusted, evidence-based resources that will improve the health and well-being of female athletes. This collaboration will drive meaningful progress for Female athletes around the world.”
-Dr. Mike Wilkinson, Canadian Olympic Committee Chief Medical Officer of Health and Wellness
French Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP)
“At INSEP, we believe that advancing the health, well-being, and performance of female athletes is a fundamental pillar of high-performance sport.
Joining the Global Alliance for Female Athletes allows us to pool our expertise, share rigorous scientific research, and collaborate internationally to bridge critical knowledge gaps. By working together across borders, we ensure that every female athlete receives the evidence-based care and support she needs to thrive throughout her career, her life project, and beyond.
-Fabien Canu, General Director of INSEP
German Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT)
“We are very excited to join GAFA and contribute to this international community driving progress in women’s sports. Elite female athletes need support that recognizes and addresses their specific physiological needs. By bringing together expertise from different countries and disciplines, GAFA creates a unique opportunity to share knowledge, learn from one another, and advance evidence-based approaches that better support female athletes.”
-Dr. Marc-Oliver Löw, Director, IAT
Japan High Performance Sport Center / Japan Sport Council
“For more than a decade, the Japan High Performance Sport Center (HPSC), operated by Japan Sport Council (JSC), has been at the forefront of advancing the health, well-being, and performance of female athletes in Japan. By joining GAFA, HPSC is taking an important step toward strengthening international collaboration, enhancing the quality of its support , and accelerating its reach to a broader community of female athletes. Through this partnership, we look forward to sharing the knowledge and insights
we have developed over the years with international partners and contribute to advancing discussions on female athlete support. Together with GAFA and partners around the world, HPSC is fully committed to contributing to a future in which all female athletes have access to evidence-based support, and to further advancing our “From High Performance to Life Performance” concept, which applies knowledge gained through high-performance sport for the broader benefit of society.”
-Takeshi KUKIDOME, Director General of JHPSC
Swiss Olympic Association
“As the umbrella organisation for Swiss sport and the National Olympic Committee, the Swiss Olympic Association has been campaigning for several years to improve conditions for female athletes. Our collaboration with GAFA ensures that we can share our knowledge whilst also benefiting from the experiences of members from other countries. Together, we will drive the further development of this issue at an international level and help ensure that female athletes can realise their full potential in an environment that is both performance-enhancing and safe. In addition, coaches and sports organisations will benefit from this as well.”
-Ruth Metzler-Arnold, President Swiss Olympic Association
About the Global Alliance for Female Athletes (GAFA)
The Global Alliance for Female Athletes (GAFA) is an international collaboration of leading sport organizations committed to advancing female athlete health through evidence-based education, research collaboration, and the sharing of best practices. By connecting experts from around the world, GAFA works to improve access to high-quality, medically vetted resources that empower athletes, coaches, clinicians, and sport leaders to better support women and girls in sport.