Women and Girls
According to Sport England only 31.6% of women play sport at least once a week compared to 41.7% of men. Nationally, 13 million women and girls said they wanted to play more sport, of whom, nearly half are currently inactive.
Birth and Beyond
Birth and Beyond Report 2020 (PDF, 2.8 Mb)
Pregnant, and recently pregnant women are less likely to be active. This results in potential health risk. We looked into the reasons why women aren't engaging in physical activity.
Women in Sport
Lockdown Research - Implications for Womens Participation (PDF, 788 Kb)
Women in Sport - Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls (PDF, 3.1 Mb)
Girls are missing out on the lifelong rewards of Sport. Women in Sport is looking to change that. They are the only organsation in the UK that researches sport purely from the perspective of women and girls, and use this insight to drive change.
- Reframing Sport for Girls Toolkit
Girls are missing out on the lifelong rewards of Sport. Women in Sport is looking to change that. They are the only organsation in the UK that researches sport purely from the perspective of women and girls, and use this insight to drive change.
- Project 51 Toolkit
This is our toolkit inspired by Project 51, a partnership project with Sported funded by Comic Relief. Project 51 aims to help girls in the most deprived areas of the UK fulfil their potential and use sport to overcome the impact of negative gender stereotypes.
Women in Sport (2018) Puberty & Sport: An Invisible Stage, The Impact on Girls’ Engagement in Physical Activity (PDF, 15.9 Mb)
Girlguiding (2018) Girls Attitudes Survey (PDF, 4.1 Mb)
Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK.
Thanks to the dedication and support of 100,000 amazing volunteers, we are active in every
part of the UK, giving girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun,
build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive difference to their lives
and their communities. We build girls’ confidence and raise their aspirations. We give them the
chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good.Ipsos MORI (2018) Beyond Binary: The Lives and Choices of Generation Z (PDF, 2.9 Mb)
Women in Sport and Youth Sport Trust (2017) Gender Gap – Attitudes Towards Physical Activity in Teenagers – Key Findings from Girls Active Survey, November 2017 (PDF, 488 Kb)
Gender Gap – Attitudes Towards Physical Activity in Teenagers.
78% of 14-16 year old girls understand that physical activity is important, yet only 28% enjoy taking part.
Go Where Women Are
Go Where Women Are (PDF, 1.6 Mb)
'Go Where Women Are' is about engaging women in sport and exercise on their terms and in their space whether physically or emotionally. The insight pack explores our current understanding of women, their relevant motivations, barriers and triggers to getting more active, and what this means for sports and exercise activities and initiatives.
This Girl Can in Herefordshire and Worcestershire 2019
Worcs Girls Can Report 2019 (PDF, 8.6 Mb)
Full report for the 2019 Worcs Girls Can Campaign across Worcestershire.
Redditch & Bromsgrove Worcs Girls Can Report (PDF, 13.7 Mb)
2019 Worcs Girls Can full report form Redditch and Bromsgrove.
Here Girls Can Report 2019 (PDF, 5.9 Mb)
Full report for the 2019 Here Girls Can Campaign across Herefordshire.
Project Delivery
Puberty & Sport: An Invisible Stage (PDF, 15.9 Mb)
Women in Sport's research explores the impact of puberty on girls' engagement in physical activity. The research looks in to the key barriers and issues that girls face during this time.
Menopause Me And Physical Activity (PDF, 7 Mb)
Women in Sport's research explores the impact of the menopause on physical activity behaviour. The research investigates how sport and physical activity providers can support them to maintain sport and physical activity habits through this time.
Getting Female Students Active (PDF, 3.2 Mb)
BUCS and Women in Sport wished to further understand what works when engaging inactive and less active female students; bringing together common learnings for universities to apply to increase engagement in physical activity.
Coaching Women Myth Buster (PDF, 678 Kb)
This factsheet is one of a series, produced by sports coach UK andWomen in Sport, aimed at coaches who coach women or who are interested in coaching them in the future. Each factsheet provides insight into the female athlete and her needs, and guidance as to how better to coach and support her.
Socially Inclusive Coaching (PDF, 639 Kb)
This factsheet is one of a series, produced by sports coach UK andWomen in Sport, aimed at coaches who coach women or who are interested in coaching them in the future. Each factsheet provides insight into the female athlete and her needs, and guidance as to how better to coach and support her
Helping the girls believe they can (PDF, 2 Mb)
Developed by Sports Coach UK, this resource provides a guide for coaches, leaders and activators to support more
women and girls to enjoy sport and physical activity. The resource includes insight, tips and practical examples.Street Games How to understand the impact of girls’ friendships (PDF, 1.7 Mb)
Street Games' research explores the impact of girls' friendships and provides guidance on how to enhance these relationships in a physical activity setting and use them to engage and retain female participants.
WiS Factsheet 1 (PDF, 975 Kb)
This factsheet is one of a series produced by sports coach UK and Women in Sport aimed at sports deliverers and
sports coaches who work with women in informal sports settings.They provide insight into the informal
female participant and her needs, and provide guidance on the type of environment and coaching style she needs in
order to be attracted to, and retained in, informal sport. This factsheet is relevant to anyone who is involved in both the development of informal sports offers as well as those directly delivering it.WiS Factsheet 2 (PDF, 823 Kb)
This factsheet is one of a series produced by sports coach UK and Women in Sport aimed at sports deliverers and
sports coaches who work with women in informal sports settings.These factsheets provide insight into the informal
female participant and her needs, and provide guidance on the type of environment and coaching style she needs in
order to be attracted to, and retained in, informal sport. In particular, this factsheet is relevant to people who design and develop informal sports offers, people who directly deliver informal sport (coaches, leaders, coordinators etc – referred to as ‘coach’), as well as people who develop coaching workforces.WiS Factsheet 3 (PDF, 785 Kb)
This factsheet is one of a series produced by sports coach UK and Women in Sport aimed at sports deliverers and
sports coaches who work with women in informal sports settings.These factsheets provide insight into the informal
female participant and her needs, and provide guidance on the type of environment and coaching style she needs in
order to be attracted to, and retained in, informal sport. In particular, this factsheet is relevant to people responsible for the delivery of informal sport (coaches, leaders, coordinators etc – referred to as ‘coach’).
Find more insight and research into women in sport at the Women in Sport website.