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Women
in Sport
FACT
-
Girls aged 7-11
are less than half as likely to take part in physical education and sport
compared to boys (British Medical Journal 2001)
-
Girls and young
women need access to quality coaching and competitive opportunities if they are
to fulfil their potential
-
40% of girls drop
out of sport and physical recreation by the age of 18 (Youth Sport Trust 2000)
-
One in three girls
aged 11 in the UK is overweight and between the ages of 16 and 24 women are
twice as likely to be obese (YWCA 2001)
In
1996, Sport NI launched a
Women in Sport Policy Directive, which highlighted the need to provide
better opportunities for girls and women to become involved in sporting
activities and coaching.
As
a consequence to this Directive and the growing interest among girls in sports
which have traditionally been male dominated, SCNI are working with Governing
bodies, Local Authorities, Sports Organisations and Voluntary agencies to
address the needs of women and girls within sport and to ensure that their
practices and procedures are inclusive and equitable.
Sport NI have worked in partnership with the IFA to
initiate Women Only Soccer Coaching Courses and ran a highly successful “Millennium
Women in Sport Festival” and “Women in Sport” Conference.
Sport NI has identified women’s team sports as an area, which needs
specific focus, and subsequently supported the development of a Women in Sport
Network with representatives of women’s Gaelic, Women’s Camogie, Women’s
Rugby, Women’s Cricket, Women’s Netball and Women’s Soccer.
Sport
NI
recognises that women under represented in terms of access to and or/
participation in sporting activities.
Therefore, the Sport NI Lottery programme states, where an application
demonstrates a programme of activities, which significantly increases
participation for people with women, the application will be deemed of high
priority.
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