Global Alliance for Female Athletes Expands International Footprint

The Global Alliance for Female Athletes (GAFA) has expanded to include new members from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. This growth aims to enhance international collaboration, address research gaps, and improve health and performance outcomes for women in sport.

The Global Alliance for Female Athletes (GAFA) has broadened its reach, increasing its membership from four to nine, by welcoming Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. As reported by the Australian Sports Commission on Friday, the alliance focuses on improving health and performance outcomes for women in sports.

This expansion also sees Ireland and Belgium joining as supporting partners. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a key player in this development, emphasized the new members' role in promoting international collaboration to fill research gaps, thereby supporting female athletes, coaches, and sports medicine professionals.

Rachel Harris, AIS Female Performance Health Initiative lead, highlighted GAFA's rapid growth as indicative of a strong global commitment to advancing female sports. Harris noted the alliance prioritizes spreading female-focused research to athletes, coaches, and health experts worldwide, especially in tackling issues like anterior cruciate ligament injuries that disproportionately affect female athletes.