This month, South West College are hosting a webinar, Women in Sport- Changing the Game’. The webinar, taking place on April 21 will feature an open forum discussion with invited guests focusing on challenges in sport, their own personal milestones and achievements, and education opportunities for women. The guests are Grainne Crabtree, an IRFU National Panel Referee; Gemma Begley from the Women’s Gaelic Players Association; Tandy Jane Haughey, Ulster University; Aoife Downey, Warrenpoint Town FC General Manager; and Beth Healy, Cricket Ireland- Women's Team Operations Manager.
Women participation in sport has continued to grow in recent years, with more media coverage being given to elite female sport and women taking up more prominent sporting positions. In Northern Ireland, organisations such as the Female Sports Forum work to increase opportunities for females to participate in sport and physical activity, to raise the profile of female sport and create a better sporting experience for all women, and to create an environment where every woman and girl across Northern Ireland feels that participating in sport and being physically active is a vital part of their everyday life.
Women in Sport- Changing the Game’ will follow this example by allowing guest speakers to share their stories and the passion for sport in a way that will inspire others. In the past, Grainne Crabtree has spoken about her fight for equality in refereeing, saying, ‘I’m not a female referee, I’m a referee who’s a woman,’ while Gemma Begley has said that women are still second glass citizens in GAA. These experiences and how they can be used to better women’s sport will be part of the event at South West College this month.
Speaking ahead of the event, Jane McGinty, Deputy Head of School for Sports and Life Science at South West College, said: “Following a very difficult year , the success stories of these women should provide inspiration to others. This webinar highlights the continuing efforts made to close the gender gap in female participation in sport, on and off the field of play, presenting the opportunities available to female athletes and coaches across the country.”
To register for the event, visit: blog.swc.ac.uk/womeninsport