Media
Female Sports Forum
Driving cultural change to involve more females in leadership roles
About the Female Sports Forum
Five Governing Bodies joined forces in January 2010 to establish the “Female Sport Forum” to work together to increase opportunities for females to participate in sport and physical activity. Our aim is to raise the profile of female sport and create a better sporting experience for all women and girls at whatever level or ability across Northern Ireland.
The forum is a unique collaboration between Ulster Hockey, Ulster Camogie, Ulster Ladies Gaelic, Ulster Rugby and the Irish Football Association. We are supported by Sport Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Sports Forum and Ulster University.
Our Vision
Our Vision is for every woman and girl across Northern Ireland to feel that participating in sport and being physically active is a vital part of their everyday life. The Female Sports Forum is committed to increasing female participation in sport and active recreation and ensuring that all females are given the opportunity to take part in sport and active recreation, no matter what their age, ability, race or creed. By participation we mean coaching, leading, officiating as well as being physically active – by choosing either sport or active recreation.
We are focused on raising the profile of female sport, and on empowering females to make the choice to be active, in an activity of their choosing. We want every woman and girl to be Active, Fit and Sporty. We commit to taking positive action to make a change for female sport across Northern Ireland. We as a group look forward to working in partnership with all to achieve positive action for change!
LEADERSHIP STRATEGY
Growing Our Foundation
Growing our female participation base needs more coaches, referees, officials and volunteers across all levels of sport and physical activity. We are particularly interested in the development of our young people as future leaders, innovators and creators of relevant and appealing opportunities for female sport.
It is imperative that we not only strive to increase the workforce but ensure we look after our current workforce, provide opportunities for training and skill development, recognise their ongoing commitment to sport and support through active mentoring programmes.
Read the full strategy – Women & Girls: Active, Fit & Sporty.
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Developing Confident, Healthy Leaders
Growing our female participation base needs more coaches, referees, officials and volunteers across all levels of sport and physical activity. We are particularly interested in the development of our young people as future leaders, innovators and creators of relevant and appealing opportunities for female sport.
It is imperative that we not only strive to increase the workforce but ensure we look after our current workforce, provide opportunities for training and skill development, recognise their ongoing commitment to sport and support through active mentoring programmes.
SLUK Sports Leadership Qualifications
The Female Sports Forum is coordinating the delivery of SLUK Sports Leadership Qualifications. Those undertaking this qualification will learn and demonstrate important life skills such as effective communication and organisation whilst learning to lead sport and physical activities to younger people, their peers, older generations, those with a disability and within the community. We will be running both level 2 and level 3 accredited Sports Leaders UK Courses.
The courses involve both guided & peer-to-peer learning and supervised leadership. Level 2 is aimed at females interested in beginning their coaching journey. Level 3 is aimed at those already actively involved and ready to take their practice to the next level.
Podium High Performance Leadership
This programme, a partnership between the Female Sports Forum and Podium Leadership, brings business and elite sport together to collaborate and learn how to deliver world leading and sustainable high performance drawing on powerful lessons, research, and experience from both worlds. Business and elite sport have similar needs, challenges and desires in their ever changing and high pressured environments.
Programme participants are a combination of high Performing female athletes who are leading role models in their sport; CEO’s & Senior Managers from public and private sector organisations. This connection makes a significant difference to them as individuals.
Previous Programme Example (NI)
The Female Sports Forum Leadership Development Programme (Oct 2017 – March 2018) was for female representatives from Governing Bodies and organisations of sport and Physical Activity in Northern Ireland. Organisations represented included Athletics NI, Ulster Rugby, Ulster GAA, Ulster Hockey RYANI, Angling, GUI Ulster Golf and Disability Sport NI.
Delivered by Jo Hopkins, workshop topics included:
- Understanding self
- Building your strengths – Understanding your network
- Learning and managing change
- Resilience for performance; planning my future
- Developing and Implementing an impact project
COMMITMENT TO ACTION
The Pledge for female sport in Northern Ireland
This pledge is addressed to all stakeholders of female sport in Northern Ireland: District Councils, Governing Bodies of Sport, Sports Clubs, Community and Voluntary Organisations, Universities, Colleges, Schools and individuals who can influence female participation.
We commit to taking positive action to make a change for female sport across Northern Ireland. We as a group look forward to working in partnership with all to achieve positive action for change!
- To use media tools to help market and promote awareness of female sports.
- To hold events celebrating female sporting achievements.
- To implement an award and recognition scheme to highlight female achievement in sport.
- To engage with educational establishments to develop opportunities for future female leaders.
- To open opportunities for females to gain leadership skills and an appropriate level of leadership experience.
- To utilise identified role models in various sporting areas.
- To produce promotional materials to increase the profile of female role models.
- To identify and promote our female role models across a variety of settings.
- To actively contribute to research and evaluation on female participation in sport.
- To help develop and establish baseline figures for participation.
- To identify barriers to participation and develop preventative measures.
Please sign the pledge by filling out the form below
INSPIRATION
Role Models Project
This project aims to give all sports a space to highlight those who are role models. These people can be athletes of any level, coaches, officials, or anyone who is a crucial part of the sport/activity. The aim is to provide role models across ability, age and interests. This should fulfil the idea that there is something for everyone in sports.
The Female Sports Forum hopes to not only showcase talent but those who are also exceptional role models for their communities and peers. Role models look different to everyone and we as the Female Sports Forum should represent that!
Sophie Earley
Sophie Earley
Shirley McCay MBE
Shirley McCay MBE
Emma Macbeth
Emma Macbeth
Suzanne Logan
Suzanne Logan
Impact of Role Models
Inspiring Role Models can have a significant impact on participation. While some of our best ambassadors are those involved in sport at a high level, we also recognise that identifying and promoting role models from all parts of our society is equally as important – think of your PE teacher, your coach, your friend. We aim to create a network of local and national role models to help connect communities, and work together to address any negative barriers or stereotypes.
Get Involved
The Female Sports Forum’s goal is to get women and girls active! To nominate an individual please fill out the form below.
If you would like to know more please look at the entire proposal: Role Models Project
MEDIA
Increasing the visibility of female success
Our consultation findings show that there is a need to focus on raising the profile of women’s sport within the media, and celebrate the success of our female athletes. We know that we can use the increased visibility of female success at national and international level to lever growth in community participation. Better use of media will also help eliminate the perceived justification of a ‘lack of knowledge or opportunity’ as a reason for not being more active.
We will create marketing and communication messages that resonate with our aspiration for females to be Active, Fit and Sporty. Our ambition is to impact on female participation by making the most of social and cultural shifts which show the attractiveness of being healthy, strong and athletic to women and girls.
KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH
Resource Hub
Currently, the Female Sports Forum’s Resource Hub is now LIVE on women’s sports and Northern Ireland-specific data. If you’re interested in additional assistance in finding resources on topics such as Mental Health, Inclusion, NI programs policy/other community organizations, coaching teenage girls, or e-learning courses, please feel free to contact natalie.niederman@nisf.net via email.
Latest Research from the Female Sports Forum
Youth Voice
A toolkit and research page to explore Sport England’s Youth Voice Project. The storybook shares Sport England’s approach, as well as practical tools, activities and top tips that they used to successfully engage young people.
Coaching Her
Coaching HER tackles central and unaddressed issues which negatively impact girls’ and women’s performance, self-perceptions, sport choices, and experiences: coaches’ unconscious gender biases, and stereotypes. NEWLY ADDED MODULE ON PERIODS.
Reach UP
This Girl Can has collaborated with EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, to launch a new resource hub for group exercise instructors that aims to boost physical activity among less active and inactive women.
Providing an evidence base to support extending the reach of sport and physical activity
We re-affirm the need to carry out appropriate research to determine the female participation rates in sports and physical activities and the barriers preventing women from making the active choice to participate. We also commit to learning from research and evaluation by reviewing and acting on recommendations and research findings by being ready to act.
Our consultation events reinforced the importance of prioritising these 4 key areas and the need to develop an action plan with a research, policy and practice focus to support an increase in female participation. By supporting the creation of new, relevant and innovative ways of packaging and promoting opportunities for being more active – we will make participating in sport and physical activity a more relevant and appealing offer for women and girls.
Women Sport Series- Breaking Barriers: Being Inclusive at all Levels
Women Sport Series- Breaking Barriers: Being Inclusive at all Levels
Women Sport Series- Breaking Barriers: Being Inclusive at all Levels
Women Sport Series- Breaking Barriers: Being Inclusive at all Levels
The Female Sports Forum Launches it Resource Hub
The Female Sports Forum Launches it Resource Hub
Women Sport Series: “Insights to Impact: Advancing Women in Sport”