5 minute read
A year of women
SUMMER OF WOMEN’S SPORT
It has been an amazing summer of sport – and one which has belonged to female athletes. Women in Sport CEO, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, explains why 2022 will mark a watershed moment for sport.
© GETTY IMAGES ON BEHALF OF BIRMINGHAM 2022
Eilish McColgan’s win in the 10,000m at Birmingham 2022 was among the summer’s highlights
For those of us fortunate to watch England Lionesses triumph in the final of the UEFA Women’s Euros, it is one of those iconic moments that is forever etched in our memory. A momentous occasion made even more poignant by the fact that when England last won a major football trophy in 1966, women were still banned from playing on FA grounds.
So, on 31st July 2022 the country united in celebration. In years to come people will ask where were you when the women brought it home?
The post-Covid upsurge in women’s sport, combined with Emma Raducanu’s spectacular victory at the 2021 US Open, meant that 2022 was already feeling
Women’s physical activity levels are still lower than men’s across the UK
Recent research showed that only half as many girls as boys dream of reaching the very top of in elite sport
like a real turning point for women’s sport. Chloe Kelly’s goal celebration, the record attendance for a Euro’s final – 87,000 fans packed into the stands at Wembley – and more than 17 million people watching England claim victory marked a watershed moment.
Alongside this sensational Euros victory, the Commonwealth Games saw incredible performances in the pool, on the track and on the pitch.
Another great highlight was England women’s hockey team claiming their first ever Commonwealth gold medal. And the year’s not over yet, with the Rugby League World Cup set to break more records this October. This increased visibility for women’s team sports is particularly vital as we are
Stephanie Hilborne OBE
determined as a charity to close the 23% gender gap in team sport participation. Playing in a team can build resilience, leadership and life skills like little else.
But while the future of women’s sport looks bright, away from the dazzling lights of sport stadiums and TV cameras, the picture at grassroots remains challenging. Recent research by Women in Sport showed that half as many girls (30%) as boys (60%) dream of reaching the top in sport.* For many girls becoming an elite athlete is not presented as a viable option – just look at the Northern Ireland players who had to take time away from their day jobs to compete at the Euros. Perhaps even more worrying is the fact that almost 60 per cent of girls are not meeting the recommended levels
© COTTONBRO PEXELS
Role models play an important part in getting girls interested in sport and exercise
of daily activity which has a huge impact on both their mental and physical health.
Why now?
Part of the problem is that just under half of girls and women feel that society doesn’t see sport as important to girls. And you can’t blame them. For centuries sport has been the preserve of men, with women actively excluded with lame excuses such as sport not being suitable for a woman’s body (our wombs may fall out) or simply not feminine. For generations, women have been side-lined or banned from participation.
While the sell-out stadiums at this year’s UEFA Women’s Euros were fantastic to see, the popularity of women’s football is not a new phenomenon. When women were called on to do factory jobs at the start of the First World War women’s football began to flourish, often pulling in more spectators than the men’s game. But when the war was over, the FA began getting more and more cautious of the success surrounding female participation in football. The final straw came on Boxing Day in 1920 when Dick Kerr’s Ladies played St Helens Ladies in front of 53,000 fans at Everton’s Goodison Park ground (over 10,000 more outside) – the largest attendance since records began.
England’s historic win is predicted to result in a boost for grassroots football
Unhappy with the growing popularity of the female game, the Football Association banned women from playing on FA-affiliated pitches. It was fifty years before that ruling was overturned and ever since women have been fighting hard to try to regain an equal footing on the field of play.
The FA in recent years have done an incredible job to turn that around – building up to this phenomenal success. The relative lack of investment on the ground by clubs however has meant that few if any girls get to play at an elite level without parents and/or finances behind them. This is one reason behind the relative lack of diversity in the top teams and must be a priority for everyone going forward.
Keep the momentum going
Thankfully the tide is turning and we can all play our part to help continue the growth of women’s sport. Two thirds (62%) of girls surveyed by Women in Sport said seeing top female athletes celebrated made them feel proud, while just under half said it inspired them about the possibilities for women.
Demand for this season’s WSL tickets has shot up by 3,000% following the Lionesses win. If you can, go along to a game, our female players deserve it. In turn, they are extraordinary role models for young girls, demonstrating just what dedication, hard work, resilience and persistence can achieve.
If you can’t watch the action live, spend time watching and celebrating some of the phenomenal array of women’s sport available on TV as a family. Whilst it might sound a contradiction to recommend watching television to encourage being active, having more women’s sport on TV (free to air, prime time TV) illustrates the value society puts on women’s sport. It helps to inspire the next generation and build confidence and self-belief as women and girls see people like themselves participating.
As we celebrate the achievement of the incredible athletes on our screens this year, let’s use these events to inspire girls, to allow them to dream, to show them that women are strong, athletic, powerful and belong on the world stage. The pathway to elite success starts at home. ●
