Lone girls in sport
If you type “lone girls in sport” into Google, you’ll find several newspaper articles and social media posts about girls creating #HERstory competing alongside boys. But on the academic front, there are few studies focused on girls who play in boys’ leagues, and until recently, none exploring the “lone girl.” Check out new research that…
Signals versus noise: Gender equity in Canadian sport

Highlights Signals = the truthNoise = what distracts us from the truth(Silver, 2015) The Government of Canada is committed to achieving gender equality in sport at every level by 2035. But where are we in achieving this goal? And how do we know where we are? The answers to these questions lie in the ability…
Data for change: Embracing demographics to advance equity in sport

Highlights “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is a popular saying in leadership circles. However, knowing what to measure to inform change is a craft altogether. To advance equity and inclusion in sport, the “who” of measurement is fundamentally as important as the “what.” Indeed, it’s important to understand the perspectives, realities and lived…
Mentoring Black women coaches: Developing confidence through relationships and learning

Photo credit: Conestoga College Condors Athletics Highlights Anyone involved in sport knows that confidence is key. Whether coach, athlete or participant, the importance (and fragility) of confidence can’t be overlooked. The vital and tenuous nature of confidence means steps must be taken to safeguard the confidence of racialized women coaches, who are sometimes the “only”…
Shaping inclusive sport policy and programs

Highlights Over the past few years, the racism and discrimination brought to light throughout society and within the sport sector have forced a necessary reflection on policies and practices. While the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion were seeded in government policy many decades ago, the context has evolved significantly. Today, these terms have new…
Social justice in youth sport
Positive youth development and life skills have long been important in youth sports research. A new position paper from Canadian researchers suggests that these approaches need to include a social justice lens. One way of doing that is by training coaches to be allies and encouraging athletes to engage in activism.
Women’s hockey under the radar: What’s driving participation?

It has been almost a quarter of a century since women’s ice hockey debuted at the Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Despite a heartbreaking loss for Team Canada in the final of the first Olympic women’s hockey competition, it was a big step forward for women’s hockey on the international stage. Since then, Canada has…
New moms in sport
Participating in team sport after childbirth can help women to negotiate their new identities as moms, feel empowered in their return to movement, and find support and inspiration in friends, family and other moms. As a policymaker, practitioner or program leader, consult with mothers and be creative to ensure inclusive and equitable team sport spaces…
Getting girls back in the game: A conversation with experts and community leaders

This blog recaps the first webinar in the 4‑part mini-series Engaging Girls and Women in Sport. SIRC and Canadian Women & Sport co-hosted the mini-series, which you can access or learn more about by visiting our SIRC Expert Webinars page. — The COVID‑19 pandemic continues to disrupt the sport in Canada and around the world….
Using data to plan and deliver programs with gender equity in mind

This blog post recaps the second webinar in the 4‑part Engaging Girls and Women in Sport mini-series. SIRC and Canadian Women & Sport co-hosted the mini-series, which you can access and learn more about by visiting our SIRC Expert Webinars page. — With the rise of big data and analytics, organizations across all industries are…