Lewis was speaking at the sixth edition of the Advancing Women in Leadership forum hosted remotely by the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), which he was formerly President of.

"The most important thing is not to fall into the trap of complacency," said Lewis.

"While we've made significant progress, we've moved from the coal pot to electric stoves, bicycles to electric vehicles.

"The reality is we still have far to go.

"Sport is a microcosm of society; in sport, there is still a glass ceiling of sexism, racism, and antagonism toward transgenders."

Lewis' TTOC successor Diane Henderson, who became the first female President of the organisation, stated that it was important to build on the positive contributions made by those at the conference.

The meeting had the theme of "now is our time" and also featured four-time Olympian shot putter Cleopatra Borel.

Trinidad and Tobago's five-time sportswoman of the year spoke on the "changing the game" topic with the aim of demonstrating the value that women bring in senior leadership positions.

Borel, who is now a coach at the University of Texas, was joined by Canadian Olympic Committee President Tricia Smith, managing director of Guardian Media Limited Dr Karrian Hepburn-Malcolm, and the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator chief executive Racquel Moses among others.

Other topics at the forum included the role women play in shaping societies and communities and how to create an enabling environment for women to thrive.