The fear of sexual harassment and violence is “extremely limiting” to women, a GAA representative has said.

The second phase of the ‘Game Changer’ project has revealed the significant impact that the fear of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence has on women’s every-day lives.

The second phase of this project has seen Gaelic Games, Ruhama and White Ribbon Ireland conduct further surveys.

According to this new survey, 87% of people think men have an important role to play in combating gender-based inequality and violence.

41% of women aged 18-to-34 have experienced either sexual harassment, unsolicited sexual remarks, or felt a threat of gender-based intimidation or violence when taking part in sport or physical exercise.

05/01/2022 Pictured is a mural on Chancery Street in Dublin, featuring the words "Stop Killing Women". Created by for Women's Aid by the artist Emmalene Blake, it follows a series of violent killings of women, including Ashling Murphy and Bruna Fonseca. Photograph: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

On Breakfast Briefing, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) community and health manager Colin Regan said the findings of the survey are “so far outside the male experience”.

“It’s just so far I think outside the male experience - the only thing we have to think about is did we remember to pack our gear bag properly," he said.

"To consider that this insidious issue at societal level is having even such an impact on what we take for granted in the male space… this is obviously something that is completely hidden within the male experience."

A shadow of a man with a clenched fist as a woman cowers in the corner. 09/03/15. Image: PA Images / Alamy

The survey also found that 17% of women take precautions like not exercising at night because they're worried about sexual harassment or violence.

“It's an extremely limiting consideration, because for many people, particularly people with children, for example, isn't that one of the few times let's say when a woman can actually get out to exercise, is in the evening, particularly in the winter months,” Mr Regan said.

More findings show that 15% of women keep their phone in their hand when they're exercising, 9% won't exercise alone and 5% have to cover up in regard to what they wear to exercise.

“Again, it's just not something that the male of the species has to even consider when they're prepping for participation in your team sports training or individual pursuits, be that out in the public or, you know, here we're talking about what should be a completely safe space indoors,” Mr Regan said.

“Even in those spaces - it's a place of objectification.”

Dozens of protest periods commemorating International Women's Day in Makassar City.  (Credit Image: © Moh Niaz Sharief/ZUMA Wire)

Within phase two of the ‘Game Changer’ project, the team hopes to introduce an e-learning “that will sit on the Gaelic Games e-learning platform cover”, Mr Regan said.

“We'll be trialling it over the summer and aiming for it to have that go live in July,” he said.

“So that'll be an open access education piece to bring people's understanding and awareness up to a certain level initially.

“Obviously it won't be compulsory, but we will be promoting it heavily, particularly through the likes of the Irish Life GAA healthy club programme and there's over 600 clubs in that programme.

“Moving into the into the autumn and winter, we’ll be actually piloting some face to face education workshops in the clubs as well, just to garner the appetite for the actual shared learning experience.”

Mr Regan said it’s important we have these conversations and step up and call out damaging behaviours when we see them happening.

A woman holds up a poster during a vigil outside Belfast City Hall to mark the death of Chloe Mitchell and violence against women, © PA Wire/PA Images