'Uncomfortable' girls’ sports uniforms could be done away as part of a new Government ‘Sports Action Plan’.
The plan, going before Cabinet today, includes a range of proposals aimed at improving women and girl’s participation in sport.
It comes as Sports Ireland research warns that just 7% of girls aged 14-15 are getting their recommended physical activity levels.
On Newstalk Breakfast today, former Ireland footballer Méabh De Búrca said uniforms are “definitely an area that needs to be looked at”.
“I suppose nowadays, with cultural and societal norms, there's less children walking and cycling school,” De Búrca said.
“But at least maybe if we had comfortable uniforms, they could take a walk at lunch or do some kind of, you know, even basic physical activity.”
White shorts
De Búrca said the popularity of white skirts and shorts has been an issue for girls in sport in the past.
“That might have been a barrier before, not just while [girls are] on their period, but also if it's a wet day as well - the white shorts can become see-through,” De Búrca said.
Many teams have made the “practical change” of removing white skirts from their kit, which De Búrca said is a good first step - but there is still more that could be done.
“Research has shown that by the age of 13, one-in-two girls drop out of sport. It's very important to look at the factors that are influencing that,” said De Búrca.
The action plan also includes calls for sporting bodies whose boards fail to reach a 40% gender balance to lose half of their State funding.
It also calls for design changes to sports facilities to better meet the needs of women.
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