MUSLIM GIRLS FENCE FEATURES IN NEW THIS GIRL CAN CAMPAIGN

This Girl Can, Sport England’s flagship campaign to help women get active, is turning its attention to tackling the exercise ‘Enjoyment Gap’ – as it reveals 2.4 million fewer women than men enjoy sport and physical activity.  

Research released today as part of a new campaign phase ‘This Girl Can With You’, will highlight the barriers faced by women when getting active, with key concerns including safety, fear of judgement and the cost of living.    

‘This Girl Can With You’ is a call-to-arms for sport and activity providers to dismantle the barriers that contribute to the Enjoyment Gap. Enjoyment is one of the biggest motivators for people to take part in sport and physical activity, and with less than 60% of women active compared to over 63% of men, closing the Enjoyment Gap is an important step towards tackling the stubborn gender activity gap. 

This Girl Can has identified four action areas with the power to dismantle barriers, help women enjoy getting active, and close the Gap. Activities for women must be Social (help women feel part of a community), Suitable (meet women’s needs), Self-Affirming (help women feel confident) and Safe (women must feel physically and emotionally safe when taking part). 

Muslim Girls Fence (MGF), a project run by British Fencing and Maslaha, is one of four case study films, focusing on the importance of the ‘Social’ action area.

Binni Begum, MGF coach in Birmingham at Ladywood Leisure Centre, said,

“At Muslim Girls Fence we make sure everyone feels included. The group is very diverse, but we focus on what we have in common; we are women who love to fence and spend time together. We build self-worth, give power to voices and most importantly, we bring communities together, to share questions and ideas, and to break the negative stereotypes that we carry on a daily basis.”

To find out more about the research, visit the This Girl Can website and check out the BF Community Discussion Page in the coming weeks to see how you can learn more about the role that fencing can play in dismantling the barriers that contribute to the Enjoyment Gap.

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