The increasing prominence of women in Karate was celebrated this past weekend during the 2023 PKF Senior Championships. The PKF’s leading women gathered in Costa Rica, showing the growing influence of women in international Karate managing positions.

With WKF President Antonio Espinós and PKF President and WKF Vice President José García Maañón in attendance, the gathering honoured the women who are currently leading National Federations in the Americas.

The list of attendees was formed by the president of the National Federation of Uruguay Estefania Rodriguez, the president of Colombia Karate Nuvis del Carmen Negrete, the president of the National Federation of Curacao Ivonne Leyto, the president of Peru Karate Hilda Elena Neira, the president of the National Federation of Mexico and WKF Executive Committee member Samantha Desciderio, the president of the USANKF and member of WKF Athletes’ Commission Elisa Au, and the president of the National Federation of Cuba Carmen Aizpurua. The chair of the PKF Women Commission Monica Irungaray and the chair of the PKF Para-Karate Commission Sasha Gerritson also participated in the meeting.

WKF President Antonio Espinós said:

“The presence of women in managing positions in international Karate has remarkably been growing over the last years, and it is in the WKF’s strategic plan to continue encouraging women to take more and more governing roles in Karate in the near future.

“Karate is an absolutely equal sport, with the same number of male and female categories, the same number of male and female competitors, the same prize money, the same media presence, and even the same outfit. We intend to transfer this equality to all the structures of our sport.

“With seven women as presidents of National Federations in the Americas, the case of the PKF is unique. I am convinced that this example will encourage other continents to follow the PKF’s path.“

(Picture: From left to right: Chair of PKF Para-Karate Commission Sasha Gerritson, president of the National Federation of Uruguay Estefania Rodriguez, the president of Colombia Karate Nuvis del Carmen Negrete, the president of the National Federation of Curacao Ivonne Leyto, the president of Peru Karate Hilda Elena Neira, WKF President Antonio Espinós, PKF President José García Maañón, president of the National Federation of Mexico Samantha Desciderio, the president  of the USANKF Elisa Au, the president of the National Federation of Cuba Carmen Aizpurua, and the chair of the PKF Women Commission Monica Irungaray