Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, chair of the OCA Gender Equity Committee, believes the "superb turnout" in Bahrain's capital Manama for the two-day meeting underlines the "great importance that NOCs are placing on gender equity in sports".

The OCA has described the seminar, scheduled to be held tomorrow and on Monday (October 31), as "ground-breaking" as the organisation "pushes its vibrant agenda for more female participation in sports in the region".

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is due to begin proceedings with a video address to delegates at The Art Hotel and Resort in Manama.

Acting OCA President Raja Randhir Singh, Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) President Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Sheikha Hayat are poised to follow Bach in giving opening remarks.

The seminar is also set to include OCA director general and International Swimming Federation President Husain Al-Musallam, Association of National Olympic Committees secretary general Gunilla Lindberg and Princess Reham Bint Saif Al-Islam bin Saud, director of public relations at the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

"Not only do we have 42 National Olympic Committees from Asia attending, but we also have 36 secretary generals and Board members present which goes to underline the great importance all the NOCs are placing on gender equity in sports," said Sheikha Hayat, who is also a Board member of the BOC.

"I'm so happy at the positive response to this seminar which is being held for the first time. 

"The presence of all these experts, along with the superb turnout from the NOCs, is a good indicator that everyone is working hard to achieve gender equity in Asia."

The list of speakers and panellists down to attend the seminar ranges from athletes to top administrators with the IOC, the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Legendary gymnast Oksana Chusovitina is set to speak along with IOC Executive Board members Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein, plus Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Vietnam representative for United Nations Women.

Other notable names due to be present include Mamadou Sow, head of regional delegation for the ICRC, Payoshni Mitra, chief executive of the Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport, Nese Gundogan, secretary general for the Turkish Olympic Committee, Marie Sallois, director of corporate and sustainable development for the IOC and Donia Abdelwahed, science programme officer for the UNESCO Office for the Gulf States and Yemen.

"All participants will be able to benefit from this wide array of experts who will be stressing the importance that awareness and education are also two key ingredients in any gender equity programme," Sheikha Hayat said. 

"Every Asian NOC will be told at this seminar that they should have a strategy, an action plan, an education system and a monitoring system in place.

"At the end of the day, it is not just numbers, for we are keen on the quality of the gender equity programme that the NOCs will put in place."