While September marks a return to school and sports, not everyone has this on their mind, especially this year. We are aware that life feels and looks different for many people affected by the wildfires in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Thousands have been displaced from their families, traditional lands and homes. If you’re looking for ways to support those in need, this CTV News article outlines how Canadians can help.

Back to Sport: For Athletes

Over 90% of girls believe sport benefits their physical and mental health. Yet, half of girls are not participating in sports once they reach adolescence.

What can athletes do?

• Learn more about the benefits and barriers girls face in the Rally Report 2022.
• Consider trying a new sport or physical activity! There are many ways to access the benefits of sport. Many organizations, such as Northwest Territories (NWT) Judo Association, host introductory clinics or drop-ins so you can try a new sport before you sign up.
• Be inspired and connect with like-minded people in sport. Follow organizations such as The Gist or the Sport Information Resource Centre to access resources, opportunities, and news happening in the Canadian sport sector.

Back to Sport: For Parents

• Girls often see their parents as role models. They also consistently report feeling the most comfortable talking to their parents about sensitive topics in the context of sport, including body image, bullying, mental health, menstruation, and racism, to name a few.
• However, less than 30% of parents feel they have the appropriate skills to talk to their children about these topics. 

What can parents do?

• Girls who have parents/guardians who are involved in sport are more likely to participate themselves. Consider joining a new sport or physical activity this fall. 
• Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Sport and Performance Psychology Lab explored what conversations are like between adolescent athletes and their parents during the car ride home following sport practices and competitions. Visit TrueSport to receive resources on how to keep the ride home from sport positive

Back to Sport: For Coaches

Coaches are the most visible and influential leaders in sport. They shape the day-to-day lived experiences of participants and influence the growth and development of sport.

Studies show that by adolescence, 1 in 3 girls drop out of sport compared to just 1 in 10 boys. Coaches can play a big role in retaining girls in sport.

What can coaches do?

• Access our Keeping Girls in Sport E-Learning module to help create safe, fun and respectful environments that will encourage girls to stay in sport and physical activity. 
• Access our Gender Equity LENS E-Learning for tools that can help you create sport environments that support women and girls to participate and lead in sport over the long term. Bonus: sport leaders will earn two (2) NCCP points upon completion of the module.

Back to Sport: For Sports Leaders

Sport leaders have the power to make decisions that improve conditions for girls, women and gender-diverse people.

Did you know that 37% of administrators do not consider gender when allocating resources?

Sport leaders build coaching and officiating pathways, recruit volunteers and plan event schedules; they play a critical role in building better, safer sport for girls.

What can sport leaders do?

• Access our Retaining Girls in Sport & Physical Activity workshop that will help sport leaders create lasting solutions for keeping girls and women in sport and physical activity by exploring how to holistically design programs to meet the psycho-social needs of girls to increase their participation and retention in sport and physical activity.
• Access our Gender Equity in Coaching Framework and Self-Assessment tool to improve conditions for women in coaching. Our Self-Assessment tool will help to determine your organization’s areas of strength and potential areas of improvement.

What the Data Tells Us

Staggering Statistics Demonstrate FIFA Women’s World Cup Growth

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup captured the world’s attention this summer. 

Heading into this major sporting event, there were predictions that not only would this event be the most competitive to date, but it would also be the biggest. It didn’t disappoint. 

According to FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 official data from the group stage:

• Over 1,715,000 tickets were sold for the tournament, comfortably surpassing ticket sales targets (which was initially 1.3 million sales before being upgraded to 1.5 million sales).
• The China PR vs. England match alone reached 53.9 million viewers – the highest for any broadcast in any global market.

The data is clear: Women’s elite sport has entered a new era of growth around the world. 

Learn how you can play a role in accelerating professional women’s sport in Canada.

Updates from Canadian Women & Sport

Open Call: Join Our DEI Committee

Canadian Women & Sport is currently seeking three external members to join our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.  

Join us as we work to ensure the organization’s core values of equity and inclusivity are fully reflected in our governance, operations, and programming. 

The open call to submit interest for the committee will be open from August 28, 2023, until September 17, 2023.  

Apply now

Calling all Saskatchewan and Manitoba-based Sport and Rec Orgs: Join us for the Same Game Challenge this October

Ready to tackle gender inequity and help make Canadian sport more inclusive? We are currently inviting sport and recreation organizations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to apply for the Same Game Challenge (program kicks off October 2023).

Details about the program and applications can be found here. Questions? Contact samegame@womenandsport.ca

Apply now

How our Custom Consultations Support Sport Organizations in their Gender Equity Work

Every organization has unique needs when it comes to addressing gender equity. 

From focus groups to strategy reviews to programming and services recommendations, our custom consultations are designed to meet you where you are at on your gender equity journey, and help you create lasting change. 

Here are some recent ways we’ve supported sport organizations through custom consults: 

• Together with Wheelchair Basketball Canada, we reviewed their Gender Equity Strategy and Plan with an intersectional lens to help them reach their goal of recruiting and retaining more women and girls in a variety of roles within the sport: as participants, coaches, champions, and officials. 
• Together with Special Olympics Canada, we completed six focus groups exploring the experiences of women coaching with Special Olympics. The goal was to identify ideas, resources, and opportunities for stakeholders to create supportive and inclusive environments for women as coaches going forward. 

Interested in learning more about how we can support your organization’s gender equity goals?

Book Your Free Discovery Call Now

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Why Period-Proof Kits Could Be a ‘story within a story’

CEO of Canadian Women & Sport, Allison Sandmeyer-Graves sat down with CBC’s Day 6 to discuss how the “destigmatizing of periods has an important body image and performance impact” within sport. 

Read more in this article.

Featured Organizations

Northwest Territories Judo Association

Northwest Territories (NWT) Judo Association has proudly completed the Same Game Challenge, another step forward in their commitment to gender equity! 

As an organization striving to increase the physical activity of people throughout the territory with Judo, they are dedicated to developing judoka from grassroots to high-performance athletes. Their programming includes camps, school programs, and adult and youth programs. 

NWT Judo has been driving change to attract more women and girls into the sport by offering a free introduction to judo and a craft workshop for women and girls.

If you’re interested in taking your organization’s gender equity commitment to the next level, consider the Same Game Challenge. Learn more here!

Grimsby Basketball Association is Empowering Girls in Basketball with a Free Camp

Thanks to funding from Canadian Women & Sport, this Ontario-based organization will be providing a free 4-day camp that has been designed exclusively for girls ages nine to 12 years old. The camp will offer a “unique platform to engage with basketball in an encouraging and supportive environment.” In addition to the all-girls atmosphere, the camp will also feature an all-female coaching staff.

A key focus of this camp will include fostering self-confidence, teamwork and a lasting love for the sport. 

Learn more on the Grimsby Basketball Association website.

Have a gender equity initiative you want to share? Click here