A new project launched by Women in Sport will encourage girls to stay active through puberty. Women in Sport, a charity that specialises in research and advocacy for women and girls in sport, will be supporting girls going through puberty in staying active.
Studies show that girls are less likely to take part in sports or exercise regularly as they move into their teen years. The programme, named Big Sister and funded through the Tampon Tax Fund, will offer support and guidance through puberty. Supporting them through the challenges of menstruation and offering resources and camaraderie.
Run by girls for girls, it will be delivered by Places for People’s charity Places Foundation and its leisure management arm, Places Leisure. The initiative will encourage a healthy relationship with regular exercise, showing how exercise can support mental health, reduce anxiety and boost self-esteem. Some of the key areas that reduce girls’ participation are body image, peer judgement and gender barriers.
Recent guest on the Drive Phase, Stephanie Hilborne OBE and CEO of Women in Sport, added:
“It is a travesty that gender and economic inequalities are leading to so many teenage girls missing out on the exhilaration and fulfilment of exercise – we need to give girls a break from the gender stereotypes that limit their freedom.”
To hear more of Stephanie Hilborne OBE’s thoughts on girls in sport, see here.
