Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | UK Desk
Source & Credit: River Online | March 14, 2010
By Munazza Abbasi | Kingston University [KU]
Female participation in sport is significantly lower than male participation across the country, with a survey showing that less than 20 per cent of women are doing a recommended amount of weekly exercise. With a notable drop in participation among 16 to 21 year olds, is it the complete picture or are we just being lethargic?
KU is no exception, and despite various ladies sports teams for netball, basketball, hockey, volleyball, tennis and football, the university's female students use the sports facilities less than men.
The university's sport development manager for sport and recreation at KU, Jo Heath, said: "The attitude of students varies each year. Everything is on offer for women. It is all there, but you can't force people to come. It is about trying to target women and how to get them involved that is the issue."
Ms Heath said: "We are constantly trying to get people more active and be more body aware." Their efforts have not gone to waste this year.
The numerous free activities and services aimed at increasing awareness of the sports that were on offer for KU students exclusively during the health week from February 8 to 12, proved to be a bigger success compared to last year's health week.
Female only aerobics, which was introduced that week, was welcomed particularly by KU's Muslim women.
Aerobics Instructor, Marta Safin, who is currently a final year law student at the university, said: "It is very important for ladies at KU to be more active because regardless of how they want to look it is important for your health to exercise.
"Classes like aerobics are good because they are good for cardio-vascular, breathing and your heart," she explained.
During the sisters' week, which took place alongside the health week, the office manager and community project leader of Muslim Women's Sport Foundation, Nazmin, encouraged KU's Muslim female students to be more physically active
"As a Muslim woman's sporting level goes down, so does her competing level. There are great inequalities in sport.
"The coverage, facilitation and awareness for Muslim women's sport is virtually non-existent and there are few role models for Muslim women to follow. But you should not let that stop you from being more socially active," she said.
The volunteer-led charity, set up by the editor of the Muslim News, aims to increase the number of Muslim women involved in sport by providing all female training sessions and consultation to clubs, councils and organisations in offering Muslim women sporting opportunities.
Having recently been handed a whopping £235k by the Football Foundation to help fund more sporting facilities to increase the number of Black and Ethnic Minority women in sport, Nazmin said the organisation would be happy to help fund more sports for Muslim women at KU, provided a venue and a high turnout number of expectants was arranged.
VP Activities, Rhiannon Hiscocks, said: "As with all sporting activities, if there is enough demand for ladies only sports we will of course strive to offer them.
"Anything we can do as part of a Higher Education Institute to promote the importance of the health and well being of our students is a positive step for Kingston University," she added.
Although there is no timescale in place at present, Rhiannon said she would be consulting the university and students regarding demand and feasibility. The Muslim Women's Sports Foundation will also be consulted.
While some students say it is a sanctuary for those women who would otherwise be disencouraged to go to the gym, others see it as a sign of gender segregation in a male dominated area.
Jo Heath said: "It is kind of risky putting on more women only sports, as it may raise questions from men, why are there no men only sports?"
Read original article here: One for the Ladies
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