The Her Move Activities Club (HMAC), run by Youthtown, began in the Waikato region in 2018. Following the success of the Waikato programme and thanks to Tū Manawa funding, HMAC was able to expand into three Auckland schools last year and will move into a further two this year.

Talking about periods may seem like a daunting prospect, especially if you don’t menstruate. However, offering your support to those who menstruate, and considering their specific needs during outdoor activities or sport, can make a positive difference to young people’s participation and enjoyment of experiences of physical activity. 

Young women are being significantly impacted by the pandemic. Research focused on young women’s wellbeing during COVID-19 has revealed gendered differences, with the pandemic affecting girls’ mental health more than boys. Find out what this means for girls in our COVID-impacted world.

We need to continue to ask ourselves if the rationale of the action or initiative has been informed by young women. If yes, ka rawe! Awesome! If not, then why are we doing it? We might need to go back to the drawing board.

We currently see young women’s participation in sport decreasing rapidly from 12 to 17 years. Our responsibility and our opportunity is to turn this story around. So let’s strip back the jargon and look at practical tips to ensure young women get what they need and want from their sporting experience.

Today’s world for young women wanting engage in sport – both social and competitively - reflects a state of constant change. Sport has the opportunity to be agile and adapt to meet the needs of young women, but what does this look like in practice?

Research shows that informal activities offer young women empowering learning experiences, encouraging self-expression, creative thinking and developing a different set of physical and social skills. Read this article by Professor Holly Thorpe that explores the importance of giving girls a sense of belonging, identity and connection with place, people and their communities.

Sport NZ spoke with teenage girls and their friends across Aotearoa to explore themes around how they relate to physical activity. As a parent, caregiver, volunteer or sector leader, you can change the game to encourage and support young women in a COVID-changed world. Here’s how. 

For parents and providers trying to make sense of why young women are turning away from sport, it is most important that we don’t blame this on young women themselves. Rather, we should be asking: what is going on in their lives that is turning them away from sport and physical activity at such high rates?

What barriers inhibit young women's experiences in physical activity?

How can activity better meet the needs of young women?