To coincide with this year’s 16 Days of Activism (25 November – 10 December), Hope House SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) and GDASS (Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service) has launched a new joint campaign called Fair Play.
As explained by SARC Engagement and Outreach Co-ordinator Jessica Davies, Fair Play aims to raise awareness of gender-based violence within the UK sports and fitness industry.
“With the alarming increase in violence against women and girls, which rose by a staggering 37% between 2018 and 2023, this campaign seeks to foster a supportive community that recognises signs of sexism, domestic abuse and violence – particularly in the field of sports and fitness,” said Jess.
“Through Fair Play we hope to engage the sports sector in open dialogue to create safer, more inclusive spaces for women and girls.”
On Friday 6 December, Jess joined George Grindle, Training and Prevention Coordinator with GDASS, to welcome a cross section of professionals from both sports and VAGW (violence against women and girls) to trial the launch of their new Fair Play workshop at Gloucester gym The Func Society, in Bakers Quay.
Following an introduction and presentation by Jess and George explaining the aims and objectives of Fair Play, attendees, including representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Gloucestershire Police and the University of Gloucestershire, engaged in tabletop talks and Q&A sessions with GDASS, SARC and local support agencies, including domestic abuse charity FearFree.
One attendee said: “Today’s session has been fantastic. I found the engagement and Q&A sessions so informative and really interesting. It was great to join in with all the interesting conversations around VAGW and hear people’s insights, observations and personal experiences of sexism and misogyny encountered in the field of sports and fitness.”
Case study
Sue attended Friday’s launch. She was happy to share her own experiences of being a female member of a predominantly male running group:
Sue said: “I am part of a running club – I would say we’re about 80 per cent male, 20 per cent female. Most of the members are middle-aged, like myself.
“What makes me feel uncomfortable is we can’t seem to go a week without at least one misogynistic comment being made by one or more male members of the group – whether they be about myself as I’m running (comments about my body or what I’m wearing), or from males in our group when we pass a woman running on her own. They do this sort of weird ‘flirting’ thing.
“Do they think it’s flattering to the woman? I don’t know. I think most women running on their own find it intimidating. I only hope that me being there will make her feel a bit safer – seeing there’s another woman running with the group.
“But it drives me mad, and I see it on a weekly basis. I really hope this campaign will help raise awareness and stamp out this sort of behaviour in the sports and fitness industry.”
