Women’s Sport Week is returning to the UK in October with the hope of, again, raising the profile of women’s sports.
Leading charity Women in Sport, Sport England, National Governing Bodies, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and major broadcasters have announced that the week will start on Monday 3 October.
Following the success of the inaugural week last year, Women’s Sports Week will celebrate and showcase every level of women’s sport and will highlight the contribution that women make to sport. It will also raise awareness of all the opportunities available to women to become involved.
Ruth Holdaway, Chief Executive of Women in Sport, said, “Women’s Sport Week proved a hugely successful campaign last year and we now have a fantastic opportunity to build further public interest and celebrate the important contributions that women make in sport. With our partners, we can reach out to the whole community – women and men, girls and boys, those who are already passionate supporters of women’s sport and those who have yet to discover how brilliant it can be. We hope many more people will learn about opportunities for women in sport, champion our work and join in.”
Following the coverage and buzz of the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio, Sky Sports and BBC Sports will be giving more broadcast time to women’s sports and female athletes. Sport England will also be continuing their This Girl Can campaign to encourage all women to take part in a sport.
Andy Cairns, Executive Editor of Sky Sports News said, “Women’s Sport Week is an important event in the sporting calendar and there will be plenty for viewers to look forward to on Sky Sports News. Last year we led the way with stories every hour through the week, and will be doing even more this year”
Speaking about the This Girl Can campaign and the news that the gender gap in sport had been reduced, Tanya Joseph, Sport England’s Director of Business Partnerships said, “This Girl Can’s success proves that a behavioural change campaign can have a meaningful impact if it’s prepared to tackle issues head on. Women’s Sport Week offers a great opportunity for the sport sector to challenge itself to question what it is doing to make sport, both elite and grassroots, as accessible and welcoming as possible. While thankfully attitudes to women in sport are changing for the better, now is not the time for complacency, we must continue to strive for change.”