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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the three outstanding winners of the 2026 International Women\u2019s Day (IWD) Recognition Awards.\u202f\u00a0Lucha Villar Galvez, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Peru (Leadership), Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Chairperson of the National Paralympic Committee of Uzbekistan\u202f(Emerging Leadership), and World Para Ice Hockey (IPC Member) were each recognised for their outstanding work on 8 March 2026, International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
The Awards, held since 2013, recognise women and members in the Paralympic Movement who inspire and emulate the Paralympic ideals and serve as positive role models.\u202fThe winners were chosen by members of the IPC Governing Board following nominations by IPC member organisations.<\/p>\n
Andrew Parsons, IPC President said: \u201cI congratulate Lucha, Shakhnoza, and World Para Ice Hockey for their outstanding contributions to advancing women\u2019 inclusion within the Paralympic Movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to honour Lucha for her tireless commitment to the Movement, not only in Peru and across Latin America but to the global growth and visibility of women in Para sport. Emerging leader Shakhnoza is already championing opportunities for women and girls with disabilities, expanding access to sport and influencing policy. We are excited to see the impact she will continue to make.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am especially thrilled that World Para Ice Hockey has been recognised for the second time. The success of the first-ever Women\u2019s World Championships in 2025, is an example of how to develop women\u2019s sport from the grassroots right through to the high-performance level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucha Villar Galvez said: \u201cI\u2019m honoured to receive the 2026 IPC International Women’s Day Recognition award. It\u2019s a celebration of hard work, but more importantly, it\u2019s a celebration of the community of women who make success possible.\u202fA win for one woman in Paralympic leadership is a win for every athlete striving for a more inclusive world. I\u2019m deeply honoured to accept this on behalf of NPC Peru.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva said: \u201cI am proud to be part of a movement where sport creates real opportunities and drives meaningful progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
World Para Ice Hockey Senior Manager Michelle Laflamme said: \u201cWe are deeply honoured to see the progress of women\u2019s Para ice hockey recognised with this award. The inaugural Women\u2019s World Championships in Doln\u00fd Kub\u00edn marked a historic turning point for our sport \u2014 not the end of a journey, but the beginning of a new era. For the first time, women in Para ice hockey had a true world stage, reflecting years of commitment to building pathways where none previously existed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis recognition belongs to the athletes, coaches, officials and NPCs who have driven this transformation and who continue to push the sport forward. The IPC International Women\u2019s Day Recognition Award reinforces the importance of intentional action to make sport more inclusive. While we are proud of how far we have come, our work is far from finished. Our focus now is on strengthening the global competitive landscape and ensuring women\u2019s Para ice hockey earns its place on the Paralympic Winter Games programme. We are building a future where women are not the exception in our sport, but an integral and permanent part of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The IWD Recognition Award category in leadership recognises sustained and consistent leadership over a period of time, advocacy, overall contributions, and impact promoting and supporting women in sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s recipient Lucha Villar G\u00e1lvez is a key figure in Para sport in Peru and the region. Her life has been dedicated to advancing the Paralympic Movement and\u202fconsolidating\u202ffemale leadership within sport.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
With more than 30 years of involvement in the Movement, Villar has held numerous roles, including Chef de Mission at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, a role she continued to fulfil at successive editions of the Paralympic Games, Parapan American Games, Youth Parapan American Games, World Championships, and more,\u202fguiding Peruvian delegations with vision and excellence.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of her greatest achievements was leading the process to\u202festablish NPC\u202fPeru in 2015, an institution she has presided over for more than a decade. Under her leadership, the country strengthened its sports structure, expanded its athlete base, and\u202fconsolidated\u202fthe legacy of Lima 2019\u202fParapan American Games\u202fas a platform for hosting international events, creating more opportunities for athletes, especially women and young\u202fpersons\u202fwith disabilities.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The emerging leadership category recognises early-stage career leadership, advocacy, overall contributions, and impact promoting and supporting women in sport. The IWD 2026 Emerging Leader award was presented to Shakhnoza\u202fMirziyoyeva.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mirziyoyeva\u202fhas\u202femerged\u202fas one of Uzbekistan\u2019s most dynamic leaders advancing women\u2019s rights, gender equality, and inclusion. As First Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP) and First Deputy\u202fChairperson\u202fof the NPC Uzbekistan, she has turned national commitments into measurable progress for women and girls.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Within the Paralympic Movement, she promotes the participation of women and girls with disabilities in sport, expanding their opportunities and leadership in\u202fPara\u202fsport.\u202f\u00a0Mirziyoyeva\u202f\u00a0led the adoption of the Law on Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence (2025) and the National Pledge to End Violence Against Children, embedding women\u2019s safety and gender equality into Uzbekistan\u2019s legal and social agenda.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mirziyoyeva\u202falso\u202festablished\u202fthe Social Commissioner for Gender Equality within NASP, appointing Olympic champion Diyora\u202fKeldiyorova\u202fto inspire young women.\u202f\u202fIn education, she implemented programmes ensuring girls from\u202flow-income\u202ffamilies receive educational grants so every\u202ffamily has at least one female university graduate, helping break the cycle of poverty. Through collaboration with UNICEF, UNDP, and UNESCO, she promotes inclusion for girls with disabilities and amplifies women\u2019s voices worldwide.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The IPC Member category recognises the leadership, impact and effective change initiated by a member (NPCs, International Federations, International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled, and Regional Organisations) who promote and support equality and inclusion of women in sport.\u202fIn 2026 the winner in this category is World Para Ice Hockey.<\/p>\n
World Para Ice Hockey (WPIH) has redefined what inclusion and gender equality look like in Para sport. Under the leadership of Michelle Laflamme, WPIH has transformed women\u2019s participation in Para ice hockey from near invisibility to global recognition, increasing female representation int the sport from just one per cent in 2021 to\u202fnearly 20 per cent\u202fin 2025.\u202f<\/p>\n
Through visionary initiatives such as the Women\u2019s World Challenge launched in 2022 and the first-ever Women\u2019s World Championships in 2025, WPIH has built a sustainable pathway for women athletes, coaches, and officials to develop and compete internationally. These events have united athletes from over 14 nations across four continents, inspiring federations to invest in women\u2019s programmes and creating visibility for female role models in the sport.\u202f<\/p>\n
Beyond competition, WPIH has implemented mentoring, officiating, and leadership development initiatives to ensure women are represented not only on the ice but in decision-making roles as well. By integrating equality principles into its governance and development systems, WPIH has become a model for how a small federation can drive large-scale cultural change. Through courage, strategy, and commitment, WPIH continues to break barriers, proving that inclusion, when championed with purpose, can transform an entire sport.\u202f<\/p>\n
Previous winners of the IPC International Women\u2019s Day Recognition Award include Penny Briscoe (Leadership, 2025), Zakia Khudadadi (Emerging Leadership, 2025), Vladyslava Kravchenko (Emerging Leadership, 2023) who was elected Chair of the IPC Athletes Council in November 2024; Carla Qualtrough (2016) who went on to serve as the Canadian Minister of Sport and Physical Activity from July 2023 to December 2024 and Deepa Malik (2019), India\u2019s first woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. In 2020, she was elected as President of NPC India and served until 2024. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n