The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the three outstanding winners of the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) Recognition Awards. Lucha Villar Galvez, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Peru (Leadership), Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Chairperson of the National Paralympic Committee of Uzbekistan (Emerging Leadership), and World Para Ice Hockey (IPC Member) were each recognised for their outstanding work on 8 March 2026, International Women’s Day.
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. The winners were chosen by members of the IPC Governing Board following nominations by IPC member organisations.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President said: “I congratulate Lucha, Shakhnoza, and World Para Ice Hockey for their outstanding contributions to advancing women’ inclusion within the Paralympic Movement.
“We 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.
“I am especially thrilled that World Para Ice Hockey has been recognised for the second time. The success of the first-ever Women’s World Championships in 2025, is an example of how to develop women’s sport from the grassroots right through to the high-performance level.”
Lucha Villar Galvez said: “I’m honoured to receive the 2026 IPC International Women’s Day Recognition award. It’s a celebration of hard work, but more importantly, it’s a celebration of the community of women who make success possible. A win for one woman in Paralympic leadership is a win for every athlete striving for a more inclusive world. I’m deeply honoured to accept this on behalf of NPC Peru.”
Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva said: “I am proud to be part of a movement where sport creates real opportunities and drives meaningful progress.”
World Para Ice Hockey Senior Manager Michelle Laflamme said: “We are deeply honoured to see the progress of women’s Para ice hockey recognised with this award. The inaugural Women’s World Championships in Dolný Kubín marked a historic turning point for our sport — 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.
“This 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’s 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’s 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.”
Leadership
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.
This year’s recipient Lucha Villar Gálvez is a key figure in Para sport in Peru and the region. Her life has been dedicated to advancing the Paralympic Movement and consolidating female leadership within sport.
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, guiding Peruvian delegations with vision and excellence.
One of her greatest achievements was leading the process to establish NPC Peru 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 consolidated the legacy of Lima 2019 Parapan American Games as a platform for hosting international events, creating more opportunities for athletes, especially women and young persons with disabilities.
Emerging leadership
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 Mirziyoyeva.
Mirziyoyeva has emerged as one of Uzbekistan’s most dynamic leaders advancing women’s rights, gender equality, and inclusion. As First Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP) and First Deputy Chairperson of the NPC Uzbekistan, she has turned national commitments into measurable progress for women and girls.
Within the Paralympic Movement, she promotes the participation of women and girls with disabilities in sport, expanding their opportunities and leadership in Para sport. Mirziyoyeva led 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’s safety and gender equality into Uzbekistan’s legal and social agenda.
Mirziyoyeva also established the Social Commissioner for Gender Equality within NASP, appointing Olympic champion Diyora Keldiyorova to inspire young women. In education, she implemented programmes ensuring girls from low-income families receive educational grants so every family 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’s voices worldwide.
IPC Member
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. In 2026 the winner in this category is World Para Ice Hockey.
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’s 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 nearly 20 per cent in 2025.
Through visionary initiatives such as the Women’s World Challenge launched in 2022 and the first-ever Women’s 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’s programmes and creating visibility for female role models in the sport.
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.
Previous winners of the IPC International Women’s 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’s first woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. In 2020, she was elected as President of NPC India and served until 2024.
