News
City-wide celebration of active women sat as 'This (Birmingham) Girl Can'
(January 16, 2015)'This Girl Can' is a new campaign aiming to promote physical activity by helping women of all ages overcome barriers to participation.
It's a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets. It aims to demonstrate that girls and women of any size, ability or experience can make sport an enjoyable part of their lives.
Based on insight into women’s sporting attitudes and experiences, the Sport England campaign uses humour and a sassy attitude to tackle the fear of judgement that prevents many women taking part in sport and activity. It uses slogans including:
• Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox
• I'm slow but I'm lapping everyone on the couch
• I kick balls. Deal with it.
The aims is to tackle the rising gender gap between the number of men and women playing sport. However, with 75% of 14-40 year-old women in England cited as wanting to exercise more, the campaign aims to break down the barriers to what is stopping those women from getting started.
In Birmingham, plans are to mark International Women's Day, on March 8, with a city-wide celebration of women and physical activity. It will involve already active women but the main aim is to inspire those less active across the city.
Grants will be available for organisations, groups or individuals to host activity sessions and an online appeal for ideas and suggestions has been launched.
Councillor Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for a Green, Smart and Sustainable City, said: "Many Birmingham women are already active - some of them through initiatives like Active Parks and Be Active. But the research shows there are clearly fewer women than men exercising or playing sport regularly.
It's a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets. It aims to demonstrate that girls and women of any size, ability or experience can make sport an enjoyable part of their lives.
Based on insight into women’s sporting attitudes and experiences, the Sport England campaign uses humour and a sassy attitude to tackle the fear of judgement that prevents many women taking part in sport and activity. It uses slogans including:
• Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox
• I'm slow but I'm lapping everyone on the couch
• I kick balls. Deal with it.
The aims is to tackle the rising gender gap between the number of men and women playing sport. However, with 75% of 14-40 year-old women in England cited as wanting to exercise more, the campaign aims to break down the barriers to what is stopping those women from getting started.
In Birmingham, plans are to mark International Women's Day, on March 8, with a city-wide celebration of women and physical activity. It will involve already active women but the main aim is to inspire those less active across the city.
Grants will be available for organisations, groups or individuals to host activity sessions and an online appeal for ideas and suggestions has been launched.
Councillor Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for a Green, Smart and Sustainable City, said: "Many Birmingham women are already active - some of them through initiatives like Active Parks and Be Active. But the research shows there are clearly fewer women than men exercising or playing sport regularly.
There are lots of reasons for this but one of the biggest issues is that many women feel they'll be seen as not fit enough, a bit overweight or too old.
'This Girl Can' aims to ease those fears and show that women of all shapes, sizes and levels of ability can and do enjoy sport and physical activity.
We want to celebrate active women on International Women's Day and need the women of Birmingham to play their part."
'This Girl Can' aims to ease those fears and show that women of all shapes, sizes and levels of ability can and do enjoy sport and physical activity.
We want to celebrate active women on International Women's Day and need the women of Birmingham to play their part."