Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou

Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou is Togo's leading sports administrator. She has used sport as a way of increasing gender representation in sports organisation and education generally. She was named Woman of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2023.

Life Tchanile-Salifou became the President of the Togolese athletics federation and she has used sport as a way of increasing the role of women in her country.

Tchanile-Salifou had an awareness programme that encouraged parents to register the births of girls and then to go on and ensure that they went to school. Measurable improvements were made. It was reported that 90% of the girls returned to school in Togo at the start of the 2023 school year. This compared with an estimate of 40% for the year before.

In 2023 the World Athletic Foundation added a new section to its awards. President Sebastion Coe was credited with initiating the award and the inaugural award went to Tchanile-Salifou. She was recognised for "advancing women's rights and fostering gender equality in sport". Faith Kipyegon and Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya and Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa were all runners named as Best athletes of the year, joining her achievements for Africa.

The award should raise her profile at the Paris Olympics.