“We must continue to dream big, and in doing so, we empower the next generation of women to be just as bold in their pursuits.”
Serena Williams
Understanding sexism in school sports
Only 45% of secondary school-aged girls meet the recommended physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes per day.
Sport England, 2024
The Active Lives Survey (Sport England, 2024) shows that girls (45%) are less likely to be active than boys (51%). The survey also exposes other significant inequalities in activity levels, with Black (42%) and Asian (43%) children and those from the least affluent families (45%), less likely to play sport or be physically active than the average.
Research has consistently shown gender disparities in girls’ participation in, and enjoyment of, physical activity and physical education (PE) at school.
The gender gap in enjoyment of school PE is also pronounced and has widened since 2016. The proportion of girls saying they enjoy PE has fallen from 74% in 2016 to 63% in 2023 (Youth Sport Trust 2023), while boys’ enjoyment has remained stable at 86%.
End Sexism in Schools wants to understand the barriers to participation in schools sport and whether sexism impacts participation
We are about to embark upon a programme of research to find out whether girls and boys have equal access to sport in secondary schools. Areas of interest include:
Join the team
We would like to hear from you if you are a PE teacher, academic working in this area, a concerned parent, or just interested in helping with our research.
Alternatively, if you would like to support End Sexism in Schools by making a small donation to contribute to this research, please donate today.