Ms Mary O'Connor:

I thank the Chairperson, Deputies and Senators for inviting the Federation of Irish Sport to make a statement and contribute to this round-table discussion on issues facing women in sport and the progress made following the 20x20 campaign. For those who may not be familiar with the work of the federation, we are an independent representative body for 110 sporting organisations across Ireland, including 81 national governing bodies and 29 local sports partnerships.

The very successful 20x20 campaign began in October 2018 and concluded in October 2020. Some 76 members of the federation signed up to the campaign. Over 600 clubs across 45 sports in 32 counties, and, indeed, nine countries, signed up to the 20x20 clubs charter, and 28 out of 30 national universities on the island of Ireland signed the 20x20 third level charter, committing to one or all three of the key metrics, namely, the increase in media coverage, participation, and attendance for women in sport by 20% by the end of 2020.

In the first year of the movement, Nielsen found that participation increased by 13%, attendance at high-level events increased by 17% and media coverage across online and print publications increased by over 50%. However, it is important to note that we were coming from a very low base. In 2018 just 3% of print sports coverage, and 4% online, was dedicated to women’s sport. After the first year of the 20x20 campaign, this had increased to 5% and 6% respectively, so there is still a long way to go.

Attendance and participation could not be measured in the second year of the campaign due to the absence of sport during the pandemic, but the cultural shift could be. According to Behaviour & Attitudes, 80% of the total population, and 84% of men, are more aware of women’s sport now compared to before the campaign launched in 2018, with 76% saying women’s sport is seen as cooler now. Of those aware of 20x20 campaign, 73% said the movement changed their mindset positively towards women in sport, with 68% saying they support girls and women in sport more than before because of the campaign.

In an effort to be succinct, some of the issues facing women in sport in Ireland were highlighted in a 2018 report entitled We Are Sport, commissioned by Sport Ireland. It stated that the six core barriers for women in sport were confidence, prioritisation, motivation, education, influencers, and structures. In 2019, Sport Ireland published a women in sport policy to tackle the issues outlined in the aforementioned report under the headings of coaching and officiating, active participation, leadership and governance, and visibility. The progress made since the publication of the 2019 women in sport policy, under the direction of Sport Ireland women in sport lead Nora Stapleton, is outlined in our submission. I am aware that the committee has seen this already so I will not go through the bullet points.

It is worth noting that, as sport and physical activity reopen in a meaningful way as the year progresses, it is envisaged that there will be a phase of uncertainty. Some sports will be more affected than others, such as sports whose natural environment is indoors as well as contact and team sports outdoors. It is also fair to say there may be additional issues specific to women and girls as the return occurs, and they will need to be addressed as they arise.

Media representation will remain a key issue until there is an equal share of content across all formats of media consumption, including radio, TV, and print and social media channels. However, the ongoing support of State and non-State media outlets for movements such as the 20x20 campaign is significant and can be capitalised on. Initiatives such as Sport Ireland’s media training programme will also help to facilitate a pipeline of talented female candidates for media work in these outlets. This is a great example of where initiatives can knit together.