Women and Girls Participation in Fencing
Shetland Fencing Club, with help of a grant awarded via Scottish Fencing, prioritised increasing the participation of women and girls in fencing this year.
Whilst a good working relationship with Active Schools in Shetland has resulted in healthy numbers of kids taking up fencing at the club, it has been noticed over the last few seasons that the number of girls and women joining the club has diminished.
Project Aims:
Publicise fencing as an ideal sport for general fitness for girls in schools. Active Schools are ideally suited to support this.
Running girls-only taster sessions on Saturday mornings and after school. Initial attendees were encouraged to be involved with further publicity by producing their own posters and talking to school staff.
Providing new female specific kit, including club coloured training tops.
Hiring extra Hall space and time to run female only sessions.
Encouraging women (over 18’s) to take up fencing targeting those attending gym classes etc in local sports centres. Sessions benefitting existing fencers and non-fencers to be developed as ‘fence fit’ circuit training, based on well-tried ‘box fit’ sessions.
Results:
Overall, the grant has been split evenly between extra hall hire and new fencing kit to specifically cover female requirements/size etc. for our target groups. Publicity has cost, in effect, nothing by utilising existing club admin, using Active Schools and by involving the girls themselves in designing follow up publicity.
A significant increase in girls taking up fencing. 9 girls aged between 9 and 12 have come through the taster sessions to become full members of the club.
The girls, having started roughly at the same time, have formed a group who have organised themselves well, collectively increasing their enjoyment and competitiveness at the club. All have gone on to fence with full kit on electric scoring in a very short time and are participating in our recreational competitions.
We have found that utilising the new girl members in determining how to encourage more girls into the sport, - assisting in school holiday sessions and designing posters etc. is likely to result in even more girls taking up fencing.
We have found that raising the profile of women and girls in fencing has resulted in 2 women returning to the club after long lay-offs from fencing.
Encouraging women to take up fencing is a bigger challenge, and the fence-fit sessions are now planned for the autumn when more women would be thinking of winter indoor activities.
Realising the challenge of getting adults to take up, or return to more activity, especially women, has resulted in scheduling family sessions in ‘multi sport’ days held in the rural sports centres, in the school holidays.
Feedback and follow up
When asked the girls joining the club were more likely to come along to girl only sessions, worrying otherwise they would be much outnumbered..
The girls starting together as a group clearly progress better all round.
Having role models in the club and it doesn’t always have to be a performance fencer.
Follow up:
To continue offering girl only taster sessions as this appears to be preferable for girls. This isn’t a problem once in the club as male / females fence naturally together.
To develop novel ways of increasing participation of women. Presenting fencing as a fun way to keep fit, without fully taking up fencing is a good ‘stand alone’ way of offering fitness as well as highlighting the benefits of fencing.
Shetland Fencing Club is looking forward to continuing to provide and support more women and girls to get involved in fencing in Shetland. The club would like to thank Scottish Fencing for the grant and their ongoing support for the club.
