This Girl Can highlights barriers facing women on lower incomes

New research by Sport England's This Girl Can campaign has revealed that only one in 10 women from lower-income backgrounds feel they completely belong in the world of physical activity – highlighting deep-rooted barriers to inclusion, affordability and tailored support.

Released today, the insights find that for women on lower incomes from underrepresented groups – including Black women, Asian Muslim women, pregnant women, new mothers, and older women – the challenges and feelings of not being included are even greater.

After marking the 10^th anniversary of This Girl Can at the start of this year, Sport England are launching a new campaign phase – ‘Belonging Starts with Inclusion’ – which agitates for the change needed for all women, from all backgrounds, to feel that they belong in the world of sport and physical activity. 

This includes ensuring the needs of specific groups are met, with solutions including women-only sessions and more low impact classes. 

This Girl Can took to the streets of Birmingham today with a large floor mural representing these left-behind women. Full-length portraits of three women – Tamiah, 23, from Birmingham; 24-year-old Maria from Manchester; and Christine, 63, from Newcastle – are surrounded by hundreds of real quotes depicting the barriers women face.

Read more here about the campaign