The U.S. Department of State-espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a slate of programming and events to cap a decade of international efforts by the State Department and its partners to strengthen society by empowering women and girls through sport. This partnership has lifted up Title IX, the landmark U.S. legislation that afforded women and girls equal opportunity in education and sport, a driving force behind the GSMP’s inception.
On Wednesday, June 22, Assistant Secretary Lee Satterfield and Laura Gentile, Executive Vice President of Marketing, ESPN & Commercial Marketing at Disney Media Networks, hosted a luncheon commemorating the Title IX anniversary. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King, and student track and field athlete Maya Mosley, daughter of Olympic Gold Medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley gave remarks. The event also highlighted the 40 accomplished GSMP alumnae featuring a conversation with Grace Kiraguri, founder of the only female-led sports marketing organization in Kenya, and Brazilian Aline Silva, who overcame socioeconomic challenges to become an Olympian and launch Mempodera, a girls-only wrestling program.
The GSMP is a public-private partnership with espnW and implemented by The University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace & Society to pair emerging female leaders from around the globe with senior executives from leading U.S. companies in the sports sector for a month-long mentorship experience. The program provides an opportunity for American mentors, program alumnae, and partners to develop a lasting relationship and enhanced global network to create a more secure, inclusive, and equitable global society.
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