Sport England has launched a nationwide campaign to get women and girls moving, regardless of shape, size and ability.
The ‘This Girl Can’ campaign aims to tackle the fears that stop millions of women and girls exercising. It is the first campaign of its kind to seek to reveal the real story of women who play sport – using images that are the complete opposite of the idealised and stylised images of women now all too common.
“Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox” and “I kick balls, deal with it” are just two headlines used to prompt a change in attitudes and help boost women’s confidence.
Supporting the campaign, Sport England CEO, Jennie Price, said: “Before we began this campaign, we looked very carefully at what women were saying about why they felt sport and exercise was not for them. Some of the issues, like time and cost, were familiar, but one of the strongest themes was a fear of judgement. Worries about being judged for being the wrong size, not fit enough and not skilled enough came up time and again.”
“In ‘This Girl Can’ we want to tell the real story of women who exercise and play sport. They come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of ability. They have a myriad of reasons for doing what they do. If you are wondering if you should join them – or carry on – this campaign says it really doesn’t matter if you are a bit rubbish or completely brilliant, the main thing is that you are a woman and you are doing something, and that deserves to be celebrated.”
To find out more about the campaign, get tips on how to get active and join the national debate, please visit the official website.
