AWRA is committed to increasing female participation in all aspects of the sports industry, whether it is playing grass roots to elite level sport, coaching, officiating, administrating, either in paid work or as a volunteer.
The benefits of playing sport or physical activity to the participant are both physical and psychological for all ages and social groups. Overseas and Australian studies have found that physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is till the leading cause of death in Australia. Physical activity is also linked to a reduction in the incidence of other diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, some forms of cancer and injury among older people.
A major study by the US Surgeon General (Physical Activity and Health, 1996) found that for women in particular physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits: women of all ages benefit from a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily; and additional health benefits can be obtained through greater amounts of physical activity.
Indeed, women who can maintain a regular routine of physical activity that is of longer duration or of greater intensity are likely to derive greater health befits.
As noted above, physical activity is important for maintaining good health. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week to obtain health benefits.
This is generally interpreted as 30 minutes on at least five days a week, a total of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. The guidelines for children and adolescents recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
Grass Roots Participation
The recent Senate Report About Time! Women in sport and recreation in Australia gathered information from submissions and presentations and concluded that:
- Women's participation in sport and recreation is according to most studies less than men
- Women's participation in organised sport in particular is lower than men's, and there are more organised sporting opportunities for men than women
- The involvement of girls in physical activity drops off sharply in the early teenage years, this trend is the biggest divergence between male and female participation and is a serious concern
- While there is a need for greater levels of physical activity amongst all parts of the population, this need appears greater amongst girls and women
The Senate Report also looked at barriers to female participation (Page 32) and these are well documented in the report.
It was also noted that there are many opportunities for participation in organised sports activity, fitness activities, dance and outdoor recreation (where female participation dwarfs the figures for most organised sports) such as walking, camping, bicycle riding, water activities, etc. Women's focus is more often on social participation and enjoyment rather than competition when involved in sport and physical activity.