research report
Sport and physical activity (PA) have the power to transform individuals, communities, and countries. Global evidence has clearly shown that sport and PA programs and initiatives, beyond improving the performance and success of athletes, can address numerous broader socio-economic needs and help build healthier, fitter, more inclusive, and empowered societies.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Physical Activity can be undertaken in many ways: walking, cycling, sports, and active forms of recreation (such as dance, yoga, and tai chi). While PA is generally associated with recreation, it can also be undertaken as part of work (e.g., lifting, carrying, pushing, or other active tasks), as part of domestic tasks (e.g., cleaning, carrying, and care duties), and as part of daily travel and commuting (e.g., walking and bicycling). Regular PA has been shown to reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including coronary heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, obesity; to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; to increase lifespan; enhance a sense of wellbeing and community; increase educational performance, and improve productivity. It has also been shown to be particularly effective for attaining gender- related outcomes (equality, confidence, agency, economic empowerment, etc.) through increased participation by girls and women.

Women have historically been excluded from accessing and participating in sports and PA, and, as a result, from realizing the significant sporting, social, cultural, and economic returns that this engenders. Women and young girls are unfortunately unable to optimally access and participate in sport and PA due to a set of complex, interconnected, and mutually reinforcing challenges. Overcoming these requires interventions at multiple levels, including substantive ecosystem-level improvements and coordination across many stakeholders, including communities, district, state, and national policy actors, companies and social enterprises, civil society actors, researchers, funders, and the media. It is therefore important to ensure that increased participation for girls and women in sport and PA is prioritized in India so that the benefits accrue to them at optimal levels.

Publisher

Tags

India
Asia
All Sports
All SDGs
Girls and women
https://www.sportanddev.org/research-and-learning/resource-library/role-technology-advancing-inclusion-women-and-girls-sport

Resource Details

SVG
Research Documents
2023
Files
1732.9 KB, pdf

Tags

Country
India
Region
Asia
Sport
All Sports
Sustainable Development Goals
All SDGs
Themes
Target Group
Girls and women