General News
5 October, 2023
Get up and active with This Girl Can Week
For ladies wanting to kick it up with martial arts or get rolling on a skateboard, the Central Goldfields Shire Coun-cil (CGSC) is gearing up to host multiple events for This Girl Can Week and women across all age groups are encouraged to join in on...
For ladies wanting to kick it up with martial arts or get rolling on a skateboard, the Central Goldfields Shire Council (CGSC) is gearing up to host multiple events for This Girl Can Week and women across all age groups are encouraged to join in on the fitness fun.
This Girl Can, a week-long initiative run by VicHealth since 2018, promotes better physical health outcomes for women through sport-centric activities and will get underway in the shire for the first time this year.
Starting from Monday, October 9, a range of free come-and-try sessions will be offered by local clubs till Sunday, October 15, as part of the campaign hosted by CGSC in partnership with Sports Focus, a Bendigo-based not for profit organisation.
From tennis and croquet to footy and cricket, there are multiple options that women and girls — cis, trans, non-binary and gender diverse — can choose from, as per Sports Focus project coordinator Tamarra Ferguson.
“We’re working with a number of sporting clubs and community organisations to provide different activities for women of all ages,” she said.
“The purpose of This Girl Can Week is to encourage young girls and women to either get back into sport or to try something new.
“It’s about ensuring that they are keeping active, staying socially connected and are also aware about the opportunities available around the local community.”
According to a report published by the Australia Bureau of Statistics in 2022, compared to women, men were more likely to meet the physical activity guidelines — which recommends that
those aged between 18-64 years should be active on most days of the week.
“There’s a massive amount of data out there showing that the activity levels of women and girls is a lot lower than their male counterparts,” Ms Ferguson said.
“Girls drop out from sport usually around the age of 13 or 14 due to a variety of reasons like not feeling comfortable or feeling unwelcome, even peer pressure.
“We really need to bridge that gap and get those activity levels back up — This Girl Can is a great way to do that.”
Ms Ferguson said it was a chance for women and girls to explore these sporting opportunities in an inclusive space.
“We’re working on opening up these environments for girls within the shire in a way that’s welcoming and safe — we want them to walk away feeling like they would want to come back and try the sport or activity again,” she said.
“I think they should really take this up. It’s just about coming, giving it a go and stepping out of your comfort zone to start this journey because you never know, you might really enjoy it.
“Being active not only increases physical fitness but also helps mentally as well as socially — I think everyone who participates will feel really empowered at the end of the day.”
This Girl Can Week will run from October 9-15.
For a full list of events and to register visit bit.ly/TGC-CG23 — registrations are required prior to attending each session.
To find out more information visit www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/Council/News-Media/This-Girl-Can-Week-get-involved