media_artricles :: 2017

Brighton Declaration on women and sport

The Brighton Declaration 1994 emphasizes the importance of women participation in every aspect of sport. The Declaration addresses the issue of Equity and Equality in Society and Sport by stating that every woman should have equal opportunity to participate in sport regardless of race, colour, language, religion, creed, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, political belief or affiliation, national or social origin.

In essence resources, power and responsibility should be allocated fairly and without discrimination on the basis of sex.

Research (Harold 1991) have shown that girls and boys approach sport differently. Therefore, those who are responsible for organizing and implementing sport and recreation have to factor differences in values, attitudes and aspirations of goals. Additionally, research has to be conducted to gain a first-hand understanding of girls approach to sport and physical activities. Such a study will provide information as to inform strategies to increase female participation in sport and physical activities.

Accessibility to sporting facilities is seen as critical. The Declaration recommends that planning, design and management of sporting facilities must meet the particular needs of women such as child care provision and safety. In other words the sporting environment has to be comforting and encouraging.

The Declaration states that "Women are under-represented in the leadership and decision making of all sport and sport-related organisation." What can be done to change this structural imbalance in the Trinbago context? Every effort should be made to encourage the number of women coaches, advisers, decision makers, officials, administrators and sport personnel at all levels. Part of the fact finding data collection effort should be a register of all female administrators and officials across all levels of sport.

In addition to the direct sporting involvement, increased participation will provide several social and health benefits. It will allow for the management of diseases such as type 2 diabetes; body and bone strength; weight loss and obesity; and increased social capital in the form of networking.

Therefore, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs has to ensure that all National Governing Bodies (NGB's) include in their development programme strategies to increase female participation. One way this can be achieved is by linking state funding to meeting specifically defined female participation targets

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