Sport New Zealand move to address inactivity in young women, launching new campaign

Sport NZ are working to addressing declining activity rates among young women. Photo / Photosport

Sport New Zealand are moving to address a worrying decline in sporting participation of young women, after a recent study found external factors were preventing many from taking up recreational sports.

A study released last September showed participation in physical activities for recreational purposes decreased drastically between the ages of 12 and 17 among young women, with 68 per cent of those involved in the study noting they will avoid participating in activities in their day-to-day lives when they do not feel confident about their bodies.

The research that saw the formulation of the campaign revealed some startling concerns among the country's young women.

Many acknowledged they felt judgment was prevalent in every facet of their lives, with three in four young women noting they were concerned about how they looked every day. But those feelings weren't limited to the sporting realm, as 55 per cent felt judged on their appearance by others when they went out, 42 per cent felt judged on the street and 52 per cent felt judged on social media.

With motivation and time constraints also noted as deterring factors, Sport New Zealand have launched a new programme to encourage change, and have enlisted the support of Kiwi stars such as Olympic surfer Ella Williams and netball greats Irene van Dyk and April Ieremia. The programme offers inspiration for young women, as well as information for parents and leaders to help encourage activity.

Speaking on the campaign, called 'It's My Move', Sport New Zealand chief executive Raelene Castle said the aim was to create awareness around the reasons why many young women stopped participating in structured sport and recreation and support them in finding activities they love to do.

"We need to take the time to understand what young women want when it comes to participating in physical activity," Castle said. "We need to create environments in which they can thrive, and encourage, motivate and enable them to move in whatever way works for them.

"'It's My Move' is focused on helping young women feel confident, be part of the conversation and empowered to participate on their terms."

The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the reasons for the participation gap with parents and providers and equip them with strategies to better support young women.

The impact of Covid-19 has also exacerbated participation challenges for young women, with the ongoing disruption to recreation and sporting activities and long periods of remote learning, particularly in Auckland.