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| Volume 8 Number 1 | Winter 1997 |
GIRLS AND WOMEN IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT
Table of content
How often do I hear the question "How close to equality for women and sport are we" with the assumption being that "we must be getting close"?
This is a complex question to answer because there are so many factors to consider. While equality addresses equal numbers, it is equity that addresses equal choices and opportunities.
If an initial response is to look at the successful turnout at the Olympic Games this summer,
where, for the first time, Canada sent an Olympic team that was equal in the number of male and female athletes, one might believe this is equality. But, unfortunately, there is much more to it than just this one number. If we were to look at the number of events open to these female athletes, we would realize that the Olympics are not yet equitable because men still have more opportunities to compete.
And are the Olympics, one isolated elite level event, an indication of equity for all girls and women in sport and physical activity?
We have to look beyond elite athletic events to the schoolyards, community centres, and playgrounds and behind the scenes to the coaches, officials, and administrators. And we have to look beyond numbers and statistics to the quality of services that are being provided for all members of the community.
When brochures are printed by community centres or sport organizations, do they consistently contain gender inclusive language and graphics? Are all of the members of their respective communities receiving an equitable amount of programming and resource allocation? Do these things happen automatically, or are they the result of one concerned individual's effort?
When we look at conferences, seminars, or workshops that are offered as professional development opportunities, is there an equitable number of female and male presenters? Is equity a topic that is integrated into all presentations or is it a special topic that stands on its own?
When we look at the schoolyards and playgrounds are girls and boys both playing
basketball, soccer, or other activities? In the physical education classes are girls and boys both participating with the same intensity and support? Are the teachers evaluating and encouraging all of the students fairly, regardless of gender?
What does it mean to achieve equity for girls and women in sport and physical activity? It means that all girls and women have a complete range of opportunities and choices to participate at any level of sport and recreation. It means that multiracial, low income, Aboriginal, and girls and women with disabilities are all active in whatever form of physical activity they desire. It means they chose to participate based on a wide range of activity experiences they have enjoyed.
So back to the question of "how close are we?" Well, we can say that significant progress has been made. If we compare the number of girls and women participating in sport and physical activity now to 20 or 30 years ago, the increase is phen-omenal. We are being continually flooded with reports of new programs, new teams, and new roles for girls and women in a variety of sport and recreational activities.
Girls and women are achieving "firsts" every day - the first woman to play in the NHL, the first provincial girls' rugby team, the first internationally sanctioned boxing match for women, the first on-line magazine for women of all ages and fitness levels, ...the list goes on and on.
When these feats stop being firsts, we will be much closer. When we are looking to see how far we've come with equity, we have to know what we want to achieve. When we see equitable numbers of men and women in decision making positions, in leadership roles, as participants or competitors, either in the Olympics or in their backyards, and it is not a unique situation or a "first", then we will have achieved equity.
Until then, we still have work to do. We may have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
November 12, 1995 was a very sad day for the amateur sport and recreation community in BC. We lost a dear friend and colleague who has left a lasting impression for her dedication to advancing girls and women in physical activity and sport. As her legacy, a fund has been established to keep Bobbie's dream alive to create a sport and recreation system that supports the ideals of equity and fairness for girls and women.
The Bobbie Steen Legacy Fund has been created to provide financial support to activities dedicated to advancing gender equity in physical activity and sport and/or the community betterment resulting from female involvement in physical activity and sport. The recipient of the fund must demonstrate a strong dedication to gender equity and the objectives of the fund.
The first annual recipient of the Bobbie Steen Legacy Fund will be awarded at the Promotion Plus International Women's Day Celebration (details on this page).
An application form is included in this Network News edition. Additional copies can be obtained from the Promotion Plus office.
The Bobbie Steen Legacy Fund is a registered charitable trust fund. Donations can be made to the Bobbie Steen Legacy Fund and sent c/o Promotion Plus
It is with great sadness that we inform our readers that Bob Bearpark, the Director of the Sport Services Branch, died of cancer on November 18, 1996.
Bob was a great advocate for amateur sport in B.C. and a strong supporter of Promotion Plus and for this we will always remember him. He will be missed as a friend and colleague by all who knew him in the sport and recreation community.
An Exploratory Workshop for
Entrepreneurial Wannabe's
The experts are telling us that there are fewer jobs around, but a lot of work to be done. All the signs look like this could be an ideal time to get out on your own. But where do you start? How do you know if that's the right path for you to go? Will you be any good at it? Do you have the discipline? This workshop has been designed for women who want to explore these and other issue and see if self-employment is right for them.
Date: February 5, 1997
Location: Room #106 - 1367 West Broadway (Sport & Rec. Admin. Centre)
Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Cost: $45.00
To register for the Entrepreneurial Workshop, please call Promotion Plus at 737-3075 by January 29, 1997.
6 Speakers Bureau - "Foundation Building"
Nervous about public speaking? Do you want to improve your public speaking skills? This program is designed for women who have some or limited experience in public speaking, but have an interest in gaining experience and skills. Each evening will combine spontaneous drills and a prepared speech to give participants a variety of skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Date: Mondays, March 17 - April 21 , 1997
Location: Room #106 - 1367 West Broadway (Sport & Rec. Admin. Centre)
Time: 5:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $75.00
To register for Speakers Bureau, please call Promotion Plus at 737-3075 by March 5.
International Women's Day Celebration
A day dedicated to celebrating how far women have come in the sport and recreation community. Promotion Plus is hosting a day long celebration on Thursday, March 6th at 106-1367 West Broadway. The day will include a variety of events starting off with a morning bike ride/walk around False Creek followed by coffee, juice, and muffins.A lunch time reception is being planned with a speaker who will lead an informal discussion on the how far women have come in the world of sport and recreation. What better day to award the first annual Bobbie Steen Legacy Fund Award? The award will be given out during the lunch time reception.
Later in the afternoon, a 3 hour seminar on Self-Defence for Women will be lead by The Best Defence team. The seminar will be followed with appetizers and networking.
Join us for part of the day, half of the day, or the whole day. Details and cost to be announced. Call the Promotion Plus office for more information and don't miss out on this special day!
? Did you know...
Girls with low self-esteem are more likely to drop out of sports or physical activity, take up smoking at a young age, and are more susceptible to peer pressure. (CAAWS, 1995. Evening the Odds)
A study of 73,000 women found that those who were most active had a 40 percent lower risk of heart attacks than the least active. Even moderate activity produced significant drops in risk. (Dr. JoAnn Manson, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School).
Break Free
All-Stars Program
Break-Free All Stars is a national smoking prevention program that encourages children between the ages of 6 to 12 to stay smoke-free and make healthy life choices, as well as build the positive self-esteem essential for reducing peer pressure. A surprising number of young people - especially girls- are taking up smoking. This program asks leaders, coaches and parents to deliver a smoking prevention message to the young children they work with.
The program comes with a kit containing a resource guide, activity cards with fun exercises, posters, fact filled brochures about the dangers of smoking, an activity filled calendar, & smoke free pledge cards for the kids.
For more information on the Break-Free All Stars Program call Shelley Callaghan at (613) 748-5651 or take a look at their web site at http://www.activeliving.ca/activeliving/break-free/
4 Discontinued Use of Pregnancy Statistic
Promotion Plus is no longer using the statistic that states, "Girls who participate in sports are less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy or be involved with drugs." The original source of the data, the Athletics Institute in Chicago, has been unable to demonstrate the statistical validity of the statement to the satisfaction of many research experts. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue the use of the statistic in any of our educational materials.
4 Women Coaches and the NCCP - A Survey
As you may be well aware, the representation of women in the coaching field is very limited in all levels of sports. Presently, there are 657 women out of 2160 coaches in BC who are NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) Level 2 certified. The number of women who continue to the next level of certification decreases significantly to less than 200. Promotion Plus recently administered a survey to 270 Level 2 coaches to investigate why so few women decide to pursue Level 3 certification. 70 surveys were returned for a response rate of 26%. Following are some survey highlights.
71% of the women were active coaches in 1996 (78% in volunteer positions and 22% in paid)
Of the 29% who did not coach, reasons included: limited income in coaching, retirement from coaching, other interests, family and work obligations
When asked if they plan to advance their NCCP level, 31% responded YES, while 29% responded NO and 40% were UNSURE.
Reasons for not advancing their NCCP level included: lack of time, too expensive, not easily accessible, lack of interest, and too much work.
Some recommendations for PSOs, NCCP Delivery Agents and coaches were:
1) develop a more flexible certification process i.e. have more correspondence and homestudy courses available; have more courses available during the public holidays, specifically Summer vacation and Spring Break for teachers and women with children
2) make programs more accessible to all regions in BC
3) create and support more paid opportunities for women to coach
4) join the CABC to gain more information on the NCCP and coaching
5) inquire if your PSO offers any financial assistance and/or other initiatives towards advancing your certification
**For an executive summary of this report please call 737-3075.**
In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a team of researchers found that women who are or have been seriously depressed have 10-15 percent lower bone density in the hip and 6.5 percent lower density in the spine than normal women. The study is significant because serious depression affects 5 to 9 percent of women and because a 10 percent drop in bone density is linked to a 40 percent increase in the risk of hip fracture over 10 years. In fact, although the women in this study had an average age of 41, they had bone loss equal to that of a 70 year old. The reason why depression may lead to bone loss is that depression is linked to higher secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone that can lead to lower density in hip and spinal bones.
What Can You Do About Harassment?
Listed below are some simple steps you can take to create a harassment free environment.
- Educate others about harassment.
- Speak out if you are being harassed.
- Be supportive to those who are being harassed.
- Challenge inappropriate behaviour when it happens (eg. racist jokes or conduct).
- Remove sexually explicit materials.
- Talk to others about the impact of their actions.
- Call on authority to take action.
- Be critical of your own actions.
- Ensure that coaches, staff, athletes, etc. know policy and procedure surrounding harassment.
- Ensure that the executives of sport organizations are fully committed to enforcement of policies and procedures.
Funding is available from Promotion Plus for women coaches taking NCCP courses Level 3 and up.
Call (604) 737-3075 for more information and to receive an application form.
Prevention and Education
Two workshops on Harassment
Prevention and Education were held for Provincial Sport Organi-zations this fall. The workshops were held as a result of requests from PSO's and as a result of a panel discussion that was held in June.
The objectives of the workshops were to educate staff and volunteers on:
- what harassment is
- the principles of the BC Human Rights Act
- employers and PSO's liability for harassment
- a model harassment policy
- the basic principles of investi-gating harassment complaints and possible approaches to investigating and resolving harassment complaints.
The workshop emphasized the importance of all organizations to adopt their own harassment policy. Without one, harassment complaints have nowhere to go and complain-ants have no course of action to take. Organizations can avoid costly court cases if they first investigate complaints internally.
It is also important for organizations to promote this policy to their coaches, officials, and athletes. This can be done through a newsletter, general mailouts, at an Annual General Meeting, or at a conference or workshop. All members need to understand and be aware of their right to a harassment free envi-ronment in order to make sport a safe place to be.
Keep up to date on all the latest information in the world of coaching. The Coaches Association of BC has a host of resources to increase your coaching effectiveness: coaching conference and seminar dates, registration discounts, a resource library, quarterly newsletters, NCCP information, legal assistance, coaching contracts, a toll free phone line to the CABC office, and a home page to keep you informed of all the important events occurring throughout BC. For only $15.00 a year, you can't afford not to join! Call the CABC office at 298-3137, email cabc@mindlink.bc.ca, or contact them at #3 - 6501 Sprott St., Burnaby, BC V5B 3B8 for more information.
Sport BC and Promotion Plus will be exploring the possibility of identi-fying harassment officers that can be trained to investigate harassment complaints. These individuals can then be accessible to PSO's for any harassment complaints that require investigation. A training session will be held in the new year and any interested individuals should contact the Promotion Plus office.
A follow up workshop is also being planned for January for the development of a harassment policy. Some of the workshop participants felt that they needed a work session to assist them in developing a policy or adopting an existing one. Anyone interested can call the Promotion Plus office for more details. w
Thanks to Sport BC and the Sport and Recreation Branch for assisting in the delivery of these workshops.
Iran has banned women from attending soccer games and advised them to stick to sports that can be played while wearing a veil.
Fazeh Hashemi, the daughter of Iran's president is asking the International Olympic Committee to do more to promote sports for Muslim women. Speaking at the World Conference on Women and Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, Hashemi, noted that several Muslim nations had no women athletes on their teams at the '92 and '96 Olympic Games. Furthermore, she stated that there are 500 million
Muslim women in the world, 1/4 of the world's female population, who cannot do sport in existing conditions.
Due to moralities stated in their religion and stereotypical roles, opportunities for Muslim women in sport do not exist. Iran continues to receive attention surrounding stories and actions of the discrimination of women in sport:
In Atlanta, Iranian shooter Lida Fariman was allowed to compete, but wore the traditional Islamic robe.
Hassiba Boulmerks of Algeria won the 1500m at the '92 Olympics, wearing running shorts and a shirt. She later received death threats, became an outcast and could not return to her country.
At the '92 Olympic opening ceremonies, Iran refused to let a woman carry the national placard for the team.
There is a new professional basketball league for women as the American Basketball League (ABL) embarks on its inaugural season. The eight team league will at long last give some of the best female basketball players the opportunity to bring women's basketball to a higher level. In addition, the existence of this league will increase the level of exposure for women's sports and provide great role models for young female athletes.
The outlook for this league is positive as sponsors, talent, TV interest, and fan support are ever-increasing. The San Jose Lasers won the first game in the new ABL on Friday, Oct. 18, overtaking the Atlanta Glory in a 78-70 victory infront of a sell-out crowd of 4,550. Seattle, Portland, Colorado, New England, Columbus, and Richmond (USA) are also homes to the new women's teams. So if you find yourself near any of these areas, show your support for the league and get out to watch a game! For more information check out the ABL website - http://www.ablleague.com wAnother women's basketball league, backed by the NBA, is scheduled to begin a June-August season next year in eight NBA cities.
"It is a serious matter and we as Muslim countries and even non-Muslim countries must put emphasis on Muslim women in sport," Hashemi said. "If the IOC's goal is to increase sports in societies, then it cannot be inattentive to their issues. The IOC belongs to all the people of the world, not to specific groups in the world or groups as a majority. Besides, Muslims are not a minority but a majority."w
Women in Action
Dr. Martha C. Piper, Vice-President, Research and External Affairs at the University of Alberta, has been appointed the 11th president of the University of British Columbia. She will take up her new duties as president in July 1997.
Violet Palmer became the first woman to officiate an NBA game at a Portland basketball exhibition game in October. Later that month, Dee Cantner was the second woman official.
Fittingly Yours Editor Karen Zaitchik, received the first "Celebration of Women & Fitness Award" for promoting fitness in the community. A $500 award was presented to the Canadian Breast Cancer Association by the Running Room in Karen's name.
Congratulations to the Kamloops Rowing Club High School Girls Racing Crew who placed 1st in the senior novice 8's and 2nd in the senior novice 4 with coxswain at the High School Championship regatta.
On December 2, the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health was officially opened as one of the five sites of the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health Program supported by the federal government. The BC Centre is a province-wide partnership of health institutions, community organizations, and government and will operate out of the BC Women's Hospital. The objective of the centres is to improve the health status of Canadian women by enhancing the health system's understanding of, and responsiveness to, women's health issues.
The Canadian Women's Health Network is a national voluntary organization which was established to share information, resources, and strategies to improve women's health. CWHN will take on the networking component of the Centres of Excellence program. Call (204) 947-2422 ext.134 for info., visit their website at www.web.net/cwhn or email at cwhn@web.net.
The Vancouver Women's Health Collective is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. It provides self-help clinics, a woman's health information and referral library, a help phone line, support groups, publications, and advocacy on health issues. For more information call 736-4234.
The following resources may be ordered from Promotion Plus by calling (604) 737-3075.
On The Move: A Handbook - to encourage non-active teenage girls to participate in a fun-filled, supportive, low skill level, team recreational activity. Handbooks are $10 plus $3 shipping.
Girls in the 90's - the Facilitator's Manual - by Sandy Friedman. A program designed to help girls safely navigate the rocky road through adolescence and avoid pitfalls such as eating disorders and the preoccupation with food and weight. $35 (incl. tax), plus $3 shipping.
Celebrating Excellence: Canadian Women Athletes - by Wendy Long. A tribute to the accomplishments of more than 200 of Canada's finest past, present, and future women athletes
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Promotion Plus Fact Files - are one page up-to-date facts on women in sport and physical activity. Updated for July 1996. No Cost. * these will be made available early in the new year.
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We Need Your Support!The provincial government, our major sponsor, has announced sweeping funding cuts to the BC Sport and Recreation system and we need your support now more than ever before.
Any contribution will help to ensure that all of our readers continue to have access to all publications and quality rep-resentation for girls and women in physical activity and sport.
Please fill out the form on this page and send in your donation.
Thank you for your support and enjoy this copy of the Network News.
NETWORK NEWSPublisher: Promotion Plus
Editor/Writer: Carrie Linegar
Editor in Chief: Tammy Lawrence
Promotion Plus
305 - 1367 WEST BROADWAY
VANCOUVER, B.C. CANADA, V6H 4A9
PHONE (604) 737-3075
FAX (604) 738-7175
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