This Girl Can

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, discusses the efficacy of the This Girl Can campaign

LAUNCHED in January 2015, This Girl Can is a campaign funded by The National Lottery in which any kind of movement, regardless of size, shape and ability, is heavily promoted. It has proved very influential in giving women the confidence to join sports clubs and gyms, free from the concern of what others are going to think. From the start, the campaign aimed to address a gender gap that many of us are unaware of: Men are increasingly likely to partake in regular movement whereas the numbers are much lower for women. Only 25 per cent of women report taking part in sports whereas that number drastically increases (in fact, nearly doubles) to 43 per cent for men.

One of the problems, I would argue, is that women’s sport is still disproportionately under-represented in the media. If you stop to think about it, how much did you know about the England women’s European football win compared to the English men when they reached the final the year before? The difference in levels of coverage is severely unbalanced and it is unsurprising to find women who don’t have the confidence to take part — they simply don’t know the opportunities are there.

This is why the advertising in the This Girl Can campaign was, and continues to be, instrumental in attracting the attention of women of all sizes, races, economic backgrounds and levels of fitness. I remember being 12 when the campaign was launched and seeing the TV adverts during the evenings: It was beyond inspiring to see plus-sized women, older women, disabled women, breastfeeding mums and more all laughing and joking while enjoying a game of netball. Playing netball myself, I hadn’t yet recognised that netball isn’t just for young, tall, fit girls but is there to be enjoyed by all.

After their first birthday in January 2016, This Girl Can researched their own success and discovered that thanks to their raising of awareness for under-represented women and the inclusivity promoted, in that year alone 2.8 million women admitted to exercising more often. Evidently, even in the first year alone, the campaign was revolutionary in getting women involved in sports. It showed all women that regardless of what they look like, they deserve to enjoy the endorphins that come from exercising with friends or even completely alone.

But they didn’t stop there. After this success, the campaign wanted to continue to raise awareness for the problems that women face and the obstacles to having the same access to sports as men. For this reason, they launched a TV advert in which you could see women genuinely sweating — and not in a pretty way! With blotchy red faces but still with a smile, it was a far cry from the sleek, put-together look of fitness influencers that we know and certainly don’t love simply because it’s not realistic. Also, they helpfully destigmatised the obstacle of periods by portraying a woman suffering from period cramps in her bed before getting dressed in the mirror and leaving to go to a session of yoga. With the angle of the shot, you can also see the string of her tampon. It’s one of the more raw adverts I’ve seen and notably faced backlash as many argued it wasn’t necessary to show such a natural and real thing. However, it should be remembered that the only way to encourage women to take part in more sports is to show them that no matter their ailments or what they perceive their setbacks to be, there is always a way around them.

Aside from this, I was personally touched by this in a much more positive way. There have been many times in the past when I have worried about missing out on a game of netball because my period has made me feel too fatigued and rundown. The visual demonstration of this woman opting for a much lower impact activity like yoga purely because of how she felt completely took away any shame I feel when occasionally missing out on sport in search of something relaxed. It’s not shameful, it’s natural, and This Girl Can helped me and countless other women to see that we should listen to our bodies and move because we love our bodies, not because we hate them or are ashamed of them.

The campaign has generally received a lot of critical success as the promotion of moving our bodies for fun rather than to lose weight or be slimmer is a much healthier mindset for women across the country to have. In light of recent campaigns to prevent obesity from the government (which are often unachievable or frankly dangerous), it’s important to have this available for women to realise that healthy bodies look different on everyone.

In reality, forcing people to eat less by shaming them through calorie consumption is a very bad way to tackle the obesity crisis, but gently encouraging sport for enjoyment will often garner healthier and more positive results.

Perhaps more interestingly, This Girl Can has clearly also attracted the attention of major broadcasting channels such as the BBC as their pledges to broadcast more women’s sport have been somewhat fulfilled in recent years. The most popular sport for women in this country is netball (although closely followed by football) so televising the Netball World Cup from Liverpool in 2019 exponentially increased the number of girls joining grassroots clubs after the World Cup ended in the summer of that year. Broadcasting more netball as well as the women’s European Football Championships and other women’s international sport is a way of proving to women that it is entirely possible to be as successful as male sports players.

A similar phenomenon happened before this in 2012 with the London Olympics. The increase in sport participation can be accredited to the media exposure the sports had. This shows that there is a direct link between This Girl Can (and other similar campaigns) and the media exposure of sports.

There are many ways to get involved in more sports through the This Girl Can campaign. Firstly, the website has lots of helpful tips as well as personal anecdotes from a variety of women who have used the scheme to immerse themselves in all things exercise. It can be nerve-wracking but the best way to get involved, especially if you’re a woman who isn’t already particularly sporty, is to just ask! If there is a sport you have always wanted to try but have been too nervous to, now is the time to make phone calls or visit the club. Many sports clubs have taster sessions you can attend to test it out, check if you enjoy the sport and meet like-minded individuals. If you are more tentative and don’t believe that competitive sport is for you, there are many sports in which you can take part in the “walking” version of it. For example, walking netball or walking football are good ways to get your body moving if you’re less mobile or you want to do something more social and relaxed.

In addition to this, sports may not be your thing at all. Perhaps you could try out the free session that many gyms offer before you commit to joining. The gym is a good way to build confidence, build strength and maybe even build a bit of muscle. Also, working out in a less intense way, such as yoga or pilates, is still movement and can even be done in the comfort of your own home if you don’t have the time, confidence or money for the gym. The emphasis is not on what you are doing but that you’re doing it at all.

Generally, with the addition of the average British woman into their campaign, This Girl Can has proven that you don’t need to be stick-thin with no health obstacles in order to enjoy the privilege of sport because it is important for physical and mental health, and not just for elite athletes.

So, however you choose to move your body, you should do it unashamedly and in the way that makes you feel best. There is nothing more empowering than deciding what you do with your body, and the physical health benefits are a nice addition to the emotional benefits. Be brave and go and find your passion.