By Tatiana Martins, journalist at G&M News.
SIGA has been expanding its presence in Latin America through initiatives like SIGA LATIN AMERICA and SIGAWomen. Could you share with us the main goals of these programs and the progress made so far in the region?
SIGA in Portuguese and Spanish means to go straight ahead and this is what we have been doing with our global alliance around the world as we deliver our reform agenda globally, with continental focus. SIGA LATIN AMERICA was set up in 2023 and is our third continental subsidiary, headquartered in São Paulo. It is an important part of our global expansion that includes Europe, North America and, later this year, Asia, with our first foothold in Dubai. For us, it is essential to be close to the different continental realities so we can tailor and deliver our sports integrity solutions and services to different markets. In Brazil, Sports Betting Integrity, one of SIGA’s core pillars, plays a major role with the recent legislative change to open the sports betting market. Our local presence means we can work with key stakeholders to positively shape sports policy. In fact, we have established positive dialogue and cooperation with government entities including the Congress, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Sport, as well as with the local sports ecosystem including CBF and Olympic and Paralympic Committees together with the licensed sports betting operators. We are particularly proud of the work we are leading with Congress with our Independent Study on the Future of Football and the legacy that this will bring to a country where football is a religion. Other global initiatives, such as SIGAWomen, a key component of our good governance agenda, promoting gender equity in sport, are designed to unite stakeholders worldwide. Our continental structure enables us to reach women from Latin America to ensure they can access leadership roles in the competitive sports industry through our supportive mentorship program, as well as showcase those women that are leading the way in sports in the region to inspire the next generation of decision makers that they too can succeed in the industry.
Mentorship and knowledge-sharing are core elements of SIGAWomen. Can you tell us more about the mentorship program and how women across Brazil, Portugal, and Latam can join and benefit from it?
I have had the privilege and pleasure to lead the SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Program since its inception six years ago and nurture our growing global community of like-minded women in the sports industry. SIGAWomen, like all our thought leadership initiatives, is derived from our Universal Standards on Sport Integrity, with the aim of creating cultural change. The relevant standard for SIGAWomen is our best-in-class international standards on Good Governance in Sport and the cultural change we are leading is to promote gender equity on the board of sports organizations worldwide. Why? Good Governance leads to better business and mitigates against potential corruption. Currently, female representation on the board of our Gold Standard is 30% as quite simply, few sports organizations would reach this, with the ultimate aim of moving this standard to 50%. It is possible. At SIGA, we deliberately changed our constitution to provide gender parity on our Council by co-opting women to ensure that the principle of 50-50 representation is respected and is a reality. We have our standards. How can these be implemented? This is where SIGAWomen comes in! This program champions female leadership in sport through our fantastic group of global mentors that join each year and through a carefully curated eight-month program. The program is twofold: SIGA gathers mentors that have pierced the gender glass ceiling and pairs these women with mentees that are aspiring women from the sports industry. The mentor and mentee go on their own bilateral mentorship journey supported by an eight-month curriculum whereby I curate and lead monthly group digital sessions on key topics such as Goal Setting, How to Lead with Integrity, Good Governance and why it matters, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination in Sport, amongst others. These group digital sessions are the backbone of our community and provide a safe space for women to exchange knowledge on expert topics, offer career tips and inspire. Typically, we have 100 women on these calls, and I invite guest speakers from our mentor pool to share their insights and expertise. Each year, we grow the program, and so what started as a modest program connecting 50 women worldwide annually has grown to 350 women from over 50 countries. It is a huge responsibility and not my only role at SIGA! As we are a global program, we offer the possibility of pairing mentees with Spanish and Portuguese speaking mentors to facilitate their learning. Last year, we created our SIGAWomen Instagram account which is going strong with regular campaigns including Share Your Story aimed to inspire through story telling which is a powerful catalyst for change. This year, we hosted our first SIGAWomen Leadership Summit in Brazil with our host partner, Pinheiro Neto, and Social Media Partner, Octagon LATAM, and will be growing this with future editions across Latin America. We will open applications for the 2026 SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Program next month. Follow us on Instagram @siga_women and you can find out how to apply!
In your view, what are the biggest challenges women face today in the sports and betting industries, and what concrete steps can organizations take to promote real equality of opportunities?
Mindset is the biggest challenge facing women in the sports industry. This is twofold: first, men’s mindset to continue the status quo by failing to create pathways for women at all levels to nurture female talent in the sports industries. This includes advertising positions in places where women don’t typically look, not having policies in place that support women that want families and lacking the political will to implement constitutional changes that provide for gender equity in the decision-making structures. Second, women’s mindsets can equally sabotage female leadership in sport. From my experience leading the SIGA Women Program, these limiting mindsets include imposter syndrome, undervaluing self worth, fear of failure, fear of voicing out, competing and tearing each other down rather than raising each other up. When the male and female limiting mindsets are in action simultaneously, this results in perpetuating a cycle whereby women are not coming to the forefront. SIGAWomen is here to change this. Our programs are designed to champion leadership through story telling, exchange of knowledge, showcasing expertise and providing career tips and advice to support a growing community of women at all stages of their career journeys. Concrete steps sports organizations can make to fuel female leadership include the following: 1. An independent governance review conducted by SIGA’s independent global audit team to find out where your organization is in terms of best-in-class standards tailored to the industry. This results in a confidential report and a corrective action plan to support your organization in closing any gaps and eventually achieving Bronze, Silver or Gold level Certification; 2. Implementing SIGA’s Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport and achieving independent certification as a kitemark of excellence; 3. Consecrating gender parity in your Constitution. Sounds scary? It is possible! SIGA did this in 2020, where there is political will there is a way! 4. Sponsor a group of mentees from your sports organization to go on the 2026 SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Program, and 5. Appoint female leaders from your sports organization to join SIGAWomen as Global Mentors on the 2026 Program. It’s as simple as that!
SIGA regularly hosts seminars and forums to promote integrity, good governance, and gender equity in sport. What topics and upcoming events should professionals in our region be paying attention to?
We are fast approaching November, which is an exciting month for SIGA as we are celebrating Sport Integrity with an action-packed month fully dedicated to our mission: The Sport Integrity Action Month! We are hosting several thought leadership events around the world including in Brazil, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. We are also spurring a global movement with our members and partners dedicating events to our shared cause from other countries resulting in a celebration of Sport Integrity and the social values of Sport, with over 100 organizations involved! Topics include: Good Governance, Anti-Corruption & Financial Integrity; Sports Betting Integrity; Youth Development; Technology, Innovation & Global Business; Environmental, Social & Economic Sustainability, and Athlete Voice & Digital Integrity. If you’re ready to #SideWithSIGA and join this global movement, express your interest here and we will include your sport integrity activity in our global calendar that is getting bigger every day! Similarly, you can participate in our range of events in Brazil and the Middle East, including: SIGA International Summit of Experts on Integrity and Sports Betting (Saturday, November 1st, 09:00–13:30, at São Paulo, Brazil); Sport Integrity Forum ASIA – Dubai Chapter Launch (Wednesday, November 12th, at Dubai, United Arab Emirates); Cityscape Global / ESTAAD Conference and SIGA Sport Integrity Awards (November 17–20th, at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). We will be releasing our 2026 calendar of events shortly that will include events in all four of our continental structures, including SIGAWomen Leadership Summits!
As Chair of SIGAWomen, what message would you like to share with women working in sports, gaming, and betting across Latin America, and how can they engage more actively with the movement SIGA is leading?
The message is simple: mentorship starts with you! Build your legacy with SIGAWomen. We need YOU to make cultural change happen. If you are an aspiring female leader, apply for the 2026 Mentorship Program. If you are an existing leader, leave your legacy and become a global mentor. The program is administrative free to support your busy lifestyle, and I can assure you that every hurdle you have faced, another woman is about to experience the same. Why not make her path easier by sharing your experience and wisdom? Finally, if you are a leader in a sports organization or brand, sponsor a group of mentees in our new SIGAWomen Legacy Campaign. Together, united, we can make a difference and create a world where women have a seat at the table with a few chairs for the next generation of women in sport.