Sophia Network

The cost of equality

Changes to the cycling track programme for the 2012 Olympics means that men and women will be able to compete for the same number of medals for the first time. In the 2008 Olympics women had three events and men had seven. Victoria Pendleton, who won the women's sprint at the Beijing Olympics, expressed disappointment at the time that she could only compete for one gold while Chris Hoy was able to compete for three.

But parity comes at a price. The International Oympic Committee only agreed to increase the number of women's events if the overall number of events stayed the same. So the men and women's pursuits, points races and the men's madison will be dropped in favour of the same programme of events for both men and women: sprints, keirins, team sprints, team pursuits and omniums, a new Olympic event that comprises five disciplines over five days. Rebecca Romero and Bradley Wiggins will be unable to defend their Olympic titles and have spoken out against the changes.

Sail away from the safe harbour

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Watson left Sydney on Sunday morning in a bid to become the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. She hopes to complete the 22-23,000 nautical miles in 240 days. You can find more details on her website and follow her blog here. Some people have questioned whether she'll be able to cope with the pressure and the time spent on her own at such a young age, but she seems pretty determined. 17-year-old Mike Perham became the youngest person to sail round the world earlier this year and he was 16 when he set off. I liked this quote from Mark Twain on her site:

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed
by the things you did not do than by the things you did do.
So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

That seems a good place to start if you talk about Jess's exploits with young people. Few would want to copy exactly what she's doing, but talking about dreams and the seduction of safety can help young people articulate for themselves what's on their hearts and encourage them to step into new things, recognising that it may take as much courage for them to start a new course at college as it did for Jess to set off round the world on her own.

Heather Watson is another young woman setting off on a sporting adventure as she starts her professional tennis career at the age of 17. Heather, the US Open Junior champion, moved to America to be coached in Florida when she was 12, leaving her family behind in Guernsey. An interview with her in the Guardian shows how close she came to giving up recently and going to college instead. But she and 15-year-old Laura Robson, the reigning Wimbledon girls' champion, are predicted to change the face of British women's tennis in the next few years. Knowing how much pressure we put on our tennis players, I hope they're up to the challenge.

Medals and championships

Kate Nesbitt is the first woman in the Royal Navy to be awarded the military cross, and only the second woman in the armed forces. She tended wounded colleagues while they were under attack from the Taleban in Afghanistan in March this year, which the MOD said made the difference between life and death. According to the BBC, Kate who is 21 said "I can't believe I am worthy of anything like this and I can't believe anyone would go out of their way to thank you in a more formal way. It was so overwhelming just to have a pat on the back really so this is just completely out of this world.' She will be awarded the medal later this year.

Heather Watson has won the US Open Junior tennis title, the first British girl ever to do so. Heather, aged 17, is originally from Guernsey, and has been training at the Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida since she was 12. Her days include tennis from 6.45am until 11am, schoolwork from 12.45pm to 4.30pm and more tennis and homework in the evening. Andy Murray won the US Open boys' title five years ago, so expect lots of comparisons! She and Laura Robson, who won the 2008 Wimbledon juniors title, are tipped to be future stars of British women's tennis, but I hope they have wise people who can protect them from unrealistic expectations and hype. 

And still on tennis, Kim Clijsters won the US Open title at the weekend, two years after she gave up competitive tennis to start a family, becoming the first mother to win a grand slam title in almost three decades. Most top women athletes don't have children but Clijsters joins Paula Radcliffe who won the New York marathon nine months after giving birth to Isla and Catriona Matthew who won the British Women's Open golf tournament just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter. That's not to say that all new mums should rush back to what they did before they had children - heaven knows we don't need that pressure - but it's great to have examples of women who combine parenting with what they're passionate about.

Biological sex may not be as simple as we think

Caster Semenya hit the headlines in August just before she won the 800m World Championship when it came to light that the IAAF had ordered her to undergo a gender test to ascertain whether she was truly female (although surely that should be called a sex test.) Celebrations of her decisive win were severely muted as she was advised not to talk to the press, although she received a rapturous welcome back in her native South Africa.

There has been tons of speculation and opinion in the media, and today the IAAF has distanced itself from an Australian newspaper that has reported that Semenya is a 'hermaphrodite', with both male and female sexual organs.

We are used to thinking of humanity in two neat categories of male and female but Semenya's story shows that it's not quite that simple. Human beings have a number of indicators of biological sex: chromosomes - males have XY and females XX, genitals, gonads - ovaries and testes, and hormones. Usually all these indicators are in alignment which is why we announce a baby's sex at birth based on the appearance of his or her genitals. But sometimes there are discrepancies between the indicators, and children are born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't fit the typical pattern of male or female. Sometimes that's obvious at birth, and sometimes it doesn't become apparent until puberty. The term hermaphrodite is no longer officially used as its considered misleading and insensitive, and it's more usual to talk about disorders of sex development (DSD) or intersex.

The Intersex Society of North America has a useful website if you want more information about the range of conditions that fall into the category of intersex. They argue that biological sex should not be understood as two binary opposites, but rather as a spectrum. What I found interesting was their article on the frequency of intersex. The number of children born with atypical genitals is 1 in 1500 to 1 in 2000 births, but there are a lot more people who are born with subtler forms of sex anatomy variations that won't show up until later in life - around 1 in 100 births. So in a standard secondary school, there could be one person who has had or is considering surgery to 'normalise' their genitals, and 10 to 15 who know or will discover that their bodies aren't quite like other people of the same sex - food for thought for all youth, children's and schools workers.

Whatever the reality of Semenya's biology, it's clear that she has been brought up as a girl from birth and she and her family have always considered her to be female. How horrendous to have something as personal as your biological sex being questioned and dissected by the international media.  Let's be aware of how her story may impact others in youth groups and schools who may be struggling with similar issues.

England lose to Germany in the Euro 2009 finals

A familiar headline, perhaps, but a different context. Commiserations to the England women's football team for losing 6-2 to Germany last night in the European finals, but congratulations for raising the profile of women's football and actually making it onto the hallowed turf of the Guardian's sports pages and those of other newspapers. Hope Powell, the England manager since 1998, played in the Euro finals in 1984 and has worked hard to create a structure for developing the game and players from the grass-roots to the elite. She was the first woman to gain a Pro licence coaching qualification in this country, the youngest ever England manager and the first ever female national coach.

It's been interesting to read some of the stats and facts around women's football. According to this report in the Guardian, just after the First World War women's football drew crowds of up to 50,000 but in 1921, 'the Football Association put an end to all that, banning women from playing on FA-affiliated pitches (effectively, all grounds with spectator facilities) with the assertion that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged".' It was 1971 until that ban was overturned - less than 40 years ago - and the game is still trying to recover the ground lost. And it was only five years ago that Sepp Blatter, Fifa's president, said that the game would be more popular if the women wore tighter shorts.

The medal haul of the Beijing Olympics showed the fruits of athletes being funded to devote themselves full-time to their sport. Many of the England women's football team, in contrast, have jobs as coaches to support themselves or have had to go to the US in order to turn professional. They are paid just £16,000 a year - less than the top Premier League men get paid in a day. Money in sport is largely linked to media coverage, so it's not surprising that if people aren't watching women's football then they won't attract sponsorship. But that's also a circular argument, because no one can watch it if  it isn't on TV in the first place.

Interview with Jenny Dawkins, Street Child World Cup

Jenny Dawkins is the UK Project Manager for the Street Child World Cup, and is based at the Amos Trust.

What was your route into your current job? What other things have you done for work?
It’s been a bit of a winding road. After I left uni, I sometimes felt as though everyone had a really clear idea of what they wanted to do - except me!  My first job was for an events management company, which was great fun. After doing a short stint of volunteering in Tanzania, I decided I wanted to take what I’d learnt and use it in the voluntary sector. The first time I worked for a charity, it was for a tiny organisation – I was the only employee. Since then, I’ve been doing campaigning, communications and some events management for Christian Aid, Refugee Action, and now the Amos Trust.  

Tell us about the Street Child World Cup – what’s it all about?
The Street Child World Cup is all about getting street children’s voices heard. Street children all over the world are abused and ignored – too often by the very people who are supposed to protect them. Football can provide some of the only moments of escape and joy for street children. One boy in South Africa said “When some people see us by the streets, they say that we are street boys. But when they see us playing soccer, they say that we are not the street boys. They say that we are people like them. They are people like us.”

Through the global language of this game that’s so well loved, these street children will be able to speak together, and we’re determined that they will no longer be ignored.

I’m a campaigner at heart. When I see something wrong – some injustice – I want to get to the root of it and change it. I wanted to get involved in the Street Child World Cup as it’s a creative and exciting way giving street children a voice, so they are able to demonstrate that they are people with rights and potential and voices. I’m sure we’ll see people sit up and take notice of the children at this event – and I’m confident that that can lead to street children getting access to rights and justice in new ways all over the world.

It sounds like loads of people are getting behind the SCWC – tell us about some of the inspiring people you’ve met or who are getting involved.
My most exciting moment has been getting into work on a Monday morning and finding an email from Archbishop Desmond Tutu waiting in my in-box! We’ve also had support from Gary Lineker, Theo Walcott, Angus Deayton – and a number of other footballers.

This is a real partnership effort. We’re working with organisations in nine different countries, as well as across the UK. Umthombo Street Children, in South Africa, are the host organisation. They’ve got a great way of working – they employ former street children who best know how to help get street children back into families and communities. They are persistent and passionate in the face of some very hard truths about the way that street children are viewed and treated. When I was in Durban recently, I was utterly shocked to hear some of the staff talking about a time when they were supporting a girl who had been raped eighteen times. Those are the kinds of abuses that street children face – and it’s organisations like Umthombo who will stand by them and help them through their traumas. I find their energy and persistence very inspiring.

Champions!

Last Saturday, the Guardian ran an article bemoaning the lack of coverage of women in sport. It was prompted by the fact that the English women's cricket team were about to play in the World Cup final against New Zealand, but they had had very little media coverage. The article also talked about the fact that more gets reported about Rebecca Addlington's love of shoes than about the hours she spends training. Culture secretary Andy Burnham called on broadcasters to increase their coverage of women in sport saying, "We've just had a great week for women's sport in the cricket and in Sheffield with the swimming. And yet how much do the next generation of women and young girls know about it? This is big, important and significant in terms of the health of the nation and our sporting potential. There is a public service broadcasting issue here, thinking about how it serves the community and the whole country."

Well, the women's cricket team won the World Cup in Australia on Sunday,for the third time in spite of having only a fraction of the support and money that is poured into the men's sport. So where did this great achievement feature in the Guardian after their article? In the bottom right hand corner of page 13 in the main section, where the rest of the page is devoted to the possibility that the Indian Premier League just may be coming to the UK next month. And on page 11 of the sports section, again in the bottom right hand corner where the rest of the double page spread is devoted to more about the IPL and a larger article  about the English men losing to the West Indies, which frankly is not really news is it? It seems they missed a big opportunity to be part of the solution to a problem they have reported on just two days before.

I'm not a huge fan of cricket but I am always really inspired by stories of sporting success against the odds. And I want to read about women in sport. The media tells us that there's less of an audience for women in sport, but how do they know if they don't report on it? It's such a circular argument.

Are women more prone to injury?

Women athletes may be more prone to injury according to an article in the Observer at the weekend. Sportswomen, for example, are eight times more likely to suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage than men, an injury to their knee that can need months of recovery and leave permanent damage. But does that mean that women shouldn’t take up sport? Or just that more needs to be done to make them aware of the dangers, and ways in which they can avoid them? Apparently the correct warm-up and cool-down sessions can reduce injury by 70 per cent, while being aware of a potential weakness in that area can lead to girls being screened from a young age and taught how to overcome the weakness. The problem as always is the soundbite headlines that misrepresent the facts. ‘Sportswomen more prone to injury’ could understandably put girls off sport at a time when they need all the encouragement they can get. ‘Warm-up essential to avoid injury’ is far less sensational, but that’s the message that people really need to hear.

And on the subject of sportswomen, there’s an interesting interview with Victoria Pendleton in today’s Guardian highlighting the demands of perfectionism. In spite of winning two world championships and an Olympic gold medal this year, she feels dissatisfied and under pressure to achieve. She says, ‘I'm terrible. I beat myself up the whole time because I'm striving for something I'll basically never achieve. I portray this image of confidence, of arrogance, and it's not really me. I'm never satisfied and I'm never content. It means I'm a bit of a mess some of the time. But I wouldn't be here talking to you if I was a different person.’ Many girls struggle with perfectionism, and the feeling that if they do well it’s a fluke rather than down to their own efforts or talents. This interview could be a good discussion starter.

Women to watch at the Olympics

Many young women think sport is unfeminine and they would rather be thin than fit. So the Olympics may be a great opportunity to inspire them to view sport in a different light, particularly as there will be lots of female role models achieving amazing things.

Debbie Flood is aiming for gold in the women's quad rowing race. She is a committted Christian and is interviewed in today's Guardian:

"My faith is really important to me. I look back on my life and see that I have been put in these places which appear to be random, but as I see it I have found something that I am really good at and God has put me here as a witness for him. He has got my life in his hands and this is where he is taking me," she said.

"I'm quite lucky, everyone in my team knows that I am a Christian but they see that I am just a normal person, I get on with my rowing, I train hard, I'm not strange because I'm a Christian but I believe in God and it's a big part of my life."

Other women to watch - some of whom are teenagers - include:

• Paula Radcliffe in the marathon, having battled a stress fracture and a posionous spider bite in the last few months.
• Jo Pavey in the 10,000m and 5,000m
• Rebecca Romero who won a rowing silver in Athens but is now competing for a cycling gold
• Rebecca Adlington who could win the first swimming gold since 1988 in the 400m, 800m and/or 4x200m freestyle - 19 years old
• Christine Ohurugou, 400m after time out for missing three drugs tests
• Victoria Pendleton, match sprint cycling
• Shanaze Reade, BMX - 19 years old
• Hollie Avil, triathlon - 18 years old
• Jemma Lowe, 200m butterfly - 18 years old

Update: I liked this article in the Guardian after Rebecca Adlington, Nicole Cooke and Joanne Jackson won the first three medals for Britain. Kira Cochrane writes about seeing Nicole Cooke on the podium: '...it was so long since I'd seen a woman being celebrated simply for what she'd done, that the image had come as some sort of shock to the system. Here was a woman being venerated for her power rather than her femininity, as a figure of absolute achievement and action and ambition. This wasn't about how Nicole Cooke looked, or what her success could sell, or who she might or might not be sponsored by. This was about Nicole Cooke and her will to win. Nicole Cooke and her toughness. Nicole Cooke's actions in the past few hours, not to mention all the hours of work she had put in during every one of her 25 years.'

Put down the chocolate

According to a report published today, 80 per cent of women are doing too little exercise to be healthy. The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation found that among young women in particular, sport is seen as unfeminine and girls would rather be thin than fit. Negative experiences of sport at school and low body confidence mean that while the whole of the UK needs more exercise, women do worse than men. 16 to 24-year-old women are half as active as men for example, and exercise levels are even worse for low income and minority ethnic women.

And it’s not just a guilt trip. Not getting enough exercise has serious health implications from obesity and heart disease to depression and low self-esteem. You can read more in a report in today’s Guardian.

Is this true of the girls you work with? Do you see it as part of your role to encourage them to be more active? Have you found any strategies that work? Can youth workers be part of the solution or do you see exercise as outside your brief? I’d love to know what you think.