International Women’s Day kicked off in the most energetic way possible this morning when Sport Ireland put on a very youth-focused show at the Sport Ireland Campus to launch a new ‘HerMoves’ campaign
Hundreds gathered on the Campus for the official launch of the exciting new campaign targeting teenage girls.
Youth was to the fore with demonstrations of basketball, boxing, skateboarding, BMX, gymnastics and more and there was a panel discussion moderated by and featuring teenage girls telling their own story of why sport and physical activity is important to them.
The campaign has been driven by Sport Ireland Women in Sport lead Nora Stapleton and has brought together the talents of Titan Experience and Ringers Creative to produce a campaign that will build over this year and well beyond to have a serious impact on getting teenage girls moving.
“The innovation and creativity within the sector to build programmes specifically aimed at supporting the needs of teenage girls has been remarkable,” said Stapleton.
“Already this year, we have 25 organisations creating Her Moves programmes designed specifically through the lens of teenage girls and supporting the 8 Key Principles for Success from the Girls Get Active Research Report.”
“The ambition is to grow the brand nationwide through our activities, programmes, ambassadors and widespread marketing campaign so that these girls can form a connection to the campaign and grow the Her Moves community.”
“We know that not all girls will be able to access a funded programme – so this campaign is also about inspiring them to find something that moves them. It can be a walk, a swim, a bike ride, hike or a simple fun kick about with friends. Schools, youth organisations, clubs and other groups can play a major role in facilitating more social based opportunities for teens to engage and our aim is that the campaign and the brand will grow beyond the NGBs and LSPs.”
“The girls have told us what they want, and we’ve listened – now we are bringing it to life through Her Moves.”
The campaign is an expression of the insights unearthed in the Sport Ireland, Adolescent Girls Get Active Research Report, released in 2021 which looks at a deep exploration of the lives, behaviours and attitudes to sport, of teenage girls aged 13-18 in rural and urban settings.
Since its release, significant progress has been made across the sector with successful pilot programmes including Mountaineering Ireland’s Summit Sisters and Mayo Local Sport Partnership’s Skate Squad initiatives, proving that designing opportunities tailored to teenage girls and their interests leads to resounding success.
This campaign is about scaling that innovative approach to programmes with a sector-wide alignment focused on what really matters to teenage girls.
The Her Moves Online Hub is a resource for girls, parents, teachers and providers. As the campaign evolves the site will come to life with videos, demos, success stories and content aimed at supporting each target audience, tackling the topics that truly matter to teenage girls, helping to build confidence and empowering them to give it a try.
Her Moves will be going on a nationwide tour throughout the summer featuring six (6) Pop-Up events with opportunities for the girls to try a host of activities alongside vibrant music, arts, fashion, and food placing the social aspect at the centre of each event. Connecting with outdoor sports activities, skating, rollerblading, dance and volleyball have emerged as some of the top activities teenage girls wanted to try. The Pop-Up tour will bring Her Moves communities and groups together in an inclusive, accessible and fun way.
“Evidence suggests that participation in sport and exercise for girls drops drastically during their teenage years,” said Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin.
“This International Women’s Day, I welcome this important and future-facing campaign which aims to encourage girls to be active in their teenage years and to establish a life-long relationship with sport and exercise into adulthood.”
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne T.D. added that “Sport and physical activity can have such a positive impact on the lives of teenage girls, so it is important that we create more opportunities for teenage girls to participate in ways that are meaningful and motivating for them.”
“There are a huge range of sports available in Ireland and, through leveraging this campaign, we can help teenage girls find the sport that suits them and that will encourage them to remain active through their teenage years and into adulthood. I’d urge all stakeholders to consider the ethos of the Her Moves campaign.”
In research undertaken to develop the brand, 100% of teenage girls agreed with the statement “I feel better when I move” – but the stark reality is that only 7% of teenage girls (aged 14-15) meet the recommended guidelines. Leading with “Find Something That Moves You” it lands the idea that there truly is something out there for every girl, supporting them to embrace sport and physical activity in their lives to find something that moves them.
“Adolescence is a critical development stage for teenage girls,” said Sport Ireland CEO Dr Una May.
“These are the formative years when their attitudes and behaviours are established, and it shapes the women they will become. I’m very pleased to be launching this vital campaign on International Women’s Day. It has been developed through research by Sport Ireland with input from NGBs, LSPs and the teenage girls themselves, and targets those girls who are currently disengaged with sport and exercise or at risk of dropping out. By understanding their needs and addressing specifically the challenges they face, we hope that this campaign will encourage and motivate them to connect or reconnect with sport and activities.”
We will look forward to following this campaign and highlighting the content it generates over the course of the next weeks, months and years.
