Broadcast live on Facebook, the opening session, Women in Motor Sport - A Decade of Action, formed part of the wider FIA Conference and was opened by Jean Todt. The FIA President welcomed the delegates and underlined how many more women are needed within the sport. He also thanked strong sponsors and partners for their support in providing equal opportunities, as progress continues due to the efforts of many like-minded stakeholders.

Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, then led the panel discussion, which not only reflected on the work of the Commission over more than a decade and the positive change that can be seen, but also highlighted the importance of partners in forging paths for female competitors. Laurent Mekies, Sporting Director, discussed why Ferrari was driven to partner the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars initiative launched last year by the Commission, and Maya Weug, the inaugural winner, underlined what the opportunity to become the first female to join the Ferrari Driver Academy meant to her and the progression of her career.

Amanda Mille, Project Manager of the Richard Mille Racing Team, then outlined the strategy behind fielding an all-female line-up in endurance racing, how and why the team was challenging stereotypes. And finally, Deborah Mayer, Project Leader of the unique Iron Dames programme, shared her vision for supporting women in the sport and the importance of showcasing talent, across the whole industry, on the global stage.

The Women in Motorsport Seminar was then officially opened by Graham Stoker, FIA Deputy President for Sport and Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. Stoker underlined how the Commission’s work was central to meeting one of the objectives of the Purpose Driven movement, which is to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusivity for women in the sport. He also highlighted, through his own personal experience, that the quality of programmes initiated by the Commission can transform young women and urged the national sporting authorities to grasp the opportunity to stage events in their own countries. In closing, the Deputy President confirmed that successful women are challenging the mould, and that every occasion must be taken to capitalise on the strengths of our mixed sport.

Following Stoker’s opening remarks, Mouton then outlined the work of the Commission and the positive change already being seen across many areas of the sport, thanks also to the work of numerous stakeholders. However, she also stressed the need to capitalise on the momentum and put in place more actions to push for even more equality and inclusion for women.

His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Al Hussein, a member of the International Olympic Committee, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee and Chairman of Jordan Motorsport, then closed the opening address with a powerful message of support for the empowerment of women and girls in sport.

The opening plenary, Promoting Diversity within Sport, then brought together a fascinating panel of non-motor sport professionals, who explored many areas surrounding the promotion of diversity and inclusion. After the opening keynote speech delivered by Richard Stephenson, partner and senior consultant from True North Consulting, which looked at potential underlying problems within society, Cristina Lunghi from Arborus outlined the importance of organisations having a structured approach with set criteria and measurable results. Frederique Jossinet, head of women’s football at the French Football Federation, provided an inspiring insight into how their federation was successfully feminising the sport, both on the pitch and at higher executive level. Joining the discussion, Marissa Reich, Chair of She Sports Switzerland, talked about how women should be empowering themselves in the workplace, and the importance of mentoring and male allyship towards tackling inequality. Nadia Bonjour, former IOC institutional communication leader and now Founder and Advisor at NB Communication, also stressed the importance of language and communication in changing perceptions, addressing imbalances and shifting mind-sets.

The delegates attending the FIA Women in Motorsport Seminar, both physically and online, then broke out into workshops to discuss how various programmes and funding can help girls and women in the sport.

Claudia Maur, Operations Manager for the programme, and Hugh Chambers, CEO of Motor Sport UK, led the FIA Girls on Track workshop, Maur presenting a thorough overview of the Commission’s flagship grassroots educational programme aimed at inspiring and encouraging young girls to take a look at the opportunities open to them in the sport. Chambers then went on to explain how the UK had successfully staged events at a national level, utilising the tool kits provided by the Commission.

Amanda Mille, from the Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille, outlined how best to sell gender equality in the Securing Funding workshop. In relation to the Richard Mille Racing Team - which fields an all-female line-up in endurance racing at FIA World Championship level - Mille helped identify what interests sponsors, while Kate Robson, the Head of Sport Grant Programme and Accreditation, outlined potential funding possibilities within the FIA.

The final workshop looked at the growing world of e-sports and Anna Nordkvist, President of the FIA Digital Motorsport Commission, outlined the missions of the new Commission and explained the benefits of e-sports as an affordable means of engaging with young women. Australian e-sports racer, Emily Jones, joined the group to share her experiences.

The FIA Women in Motorsport Seminar resumes on July 8, with more discussion and analysis surrounding the position of women in the sport and society.