Minette Batters is President of the National Farmer's Union, the first women to hold the post in the organisation's 115 year history. Alongside leading the NFU, which represents more than 46,000 farming and growing businesses, Minette runs a family farm in Wiltshire. 

She chats to us about the impact that sport has had on her life. The skills she acquired through playing team sport at school which has given her the ability to lead a team, communicate effectively and provided her with the resilience to overcome adversity and failure. 

Minette also talks about her love of running and her passion for protecting and championing green spaces so that more people are able to enjoy being active in nature. 

About Women in Sport

Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

Find out more about us here

The Rugby League World Cup 2021 made history with Women's, Wheelchair and Men’s teams competing concurrently at the tournament. For the first time in a major tournament all participants were paid the same participation fee and given equal standard of accommodation, transport, and training facilities.

Also, in a watershed moment for the women's game, every match was broadcast live on the BBC and promoted to a new generation of players and supporters.

So, what has this tournament done to inspire change, both at the elite and grassroots ends of the game?

To discuss the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, we're joined by: England International Jodie Cunningham, Stacey Knight Non-Exec Director, Rugby League World Cup 2021 and Tracey Power the tournament's Social Impact Director.

Thank you to our podcast sponsor CSM Live
Cover Image: SWPix

About Women in Sport

Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

Find out more about us here

When researching the lives of teenage girls Women in Sport uncovered the powerful relationship that exists between mums and daughters. Teenage girls view their mum or mum figure as someone that they want to be active with, without the fear of judgement. This led to the creation of Women in Sport's #TimeTogether campaign. 

We know that: 

• 6 out of 10 teenage girls are not meeting the physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes activity per day

• 1.3 million teenage girls opt out of sport when transitioning from primary to secondary school due to puberty, confidence and supportive environments. 

• 48% of girls tell us their mum encourages and supports them to be active. Yet women in midlife are time poor

In this episode we'll explore some of the barriers that prevent girls from being active and explore how mums/mum figures can be part of the solution.

We're joined by Kate Nicholson, Head of Insight and Innovation at Women in Sport, Kirsty McNab, CEO Scottish Sport's Futures and her teenage daughter Ella.

About Women in Sport

Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

Find out more about us here

Two years ago we discovered half as many girls as boys dream of reaching the top of sport - a gap we coined the 'Dream Deficit.'

2022 has put women's sport centre stage. The success of the Lionesses at the Euros was momentous, the passion, talent and positive team dynamic on display was incredible to watch. It was closely followed by a raft of brilliant performances at the Commonwealth Games.

But has the inspirational summer we've had done anything to shift the dial? Can girls now see a place at the top of sport for them?

To discuss the results of Women in Sport's latest 'Dream Deficit' survey I am joined by the charity's CEO Stephanie Hilborne and Hannah Dingley, Academy Manager at Forest Green Rovers.

About Women in Sport

Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so. 

Find out more about us here

This episode is sponsored by CSM Live 

The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham featured the largest integrated para sport programme in the competition’s history with 42 parasport events across eight sports, with over 350 athletes taking part.

While the growth of parasport at elite level is fantastic, many disabled women and girls face a double discrimination when it comes to sport and exercise. 

Now the excitement of the 2022 Games is over the focus has to be on what legacy it can achieve.  

On this episode Sarah is joined by former Paralympic swimmer and BBC broadcaster Kate Grey and Emma Wiggs MBE who is a double Paralympic gold medal winner and ten-time World Champion para canoeist!

We talk about: 

• How the Commonwealth Games has given parasport a stage and how that's inspired more girls into sport. 
• Why para sport must be able to grow as an event in its own right. 
• How media has changed the narrative around performance and disability. 
• How schools and coaches can foster a more inclusive environment for girls with a disability. 
• How we can all play a part in breaking down barriers to activity for disabled women and girls. 

About Women in Sport

Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so. 
Find out more about us here

This episode is sponsored by CSM Live 

If you have a dusty bike in your shed this episode will inspire you to pump up the tyres jump in the saddle and feel the wind in your hair...

For women, the humble bicycle is much more than a mode of transport. Over the last century the so called ‘freedom machines’ have helped women gain independence, increased social and political freedom and brought countless hours of joy. 

As the American civil rights activist, Susan B. Anthony said: “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.”

Yet 130 years on from when the first female pioneers took their seats on bikes, women are still facing barriers preventing them from cycling - safety, appearance, time limitations and affordability are still stopping thousands of women from getting in the saddle. 

In this episode we speak to author Hannah Ross, whose book 'Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels' brings to life of some of the stories of the  remarkable female pioneers who fought not only for their right to ride a bike, but for their freedom.  
We discuss: 

• How women were perceived in the 1890s when women first began cycling. 
• How women dressed on the bicycle and why certain clothes caused a stir!
• How one pioneering women cycled around the world to prove men wrong. 
• The role the bicycle played for the suffragettes.
• Why better cycling infrastructure can help get more women on bicycles.
• The hope for the future of female participation in cycling. 

Connect with Hannah:  Twitter: @HannahVRoss
Instagram: @hannahvross

This episode is sponsored by CSM Live

Donate to Women in Sport 

In March 2022 Victoria Evans became the fastest woman to solo row the Atlantic Ocean. An incredible achievement in itself, but one made even more remarkable by the fact that three years prior to setting sail, Victoria had never even been in a rowing boat.

Setting off from the island of Tenerife, Spain on 11 February she battled through a number of difficult moments before arriving at Port St Charles in Barbados in the early hours of 24 March. Inclement weather, sleep deprivation and even a solitary 35th birthday party for one were not enough to hold her back. Her 7-metre boat ‘True Blue’ was all that protected her from waves the height of houses, dark nights, storms, sweltering heat, and 3 miles of ocean underneath her.  
In total, Victoria rowed 2,559 nautical miles (4,740 kilometres) in a world record time of 40 days and 19 hours, beating the previous record of 49 days and 7 hours set by fellow UK rower Kiko Matthews back in March 2018. 
Victoria also raised £25,000 for Women in Sport as part of her Sea Change Sport campaign, which was set up to draw attention to gender inequality in sport, in particular the barriers that prevent access to sport for women and girls.
In this podcast Tori shares how she prepared both physically and mentally for the challenge, the highs and lows, what life aboard a 7-metre boat is like - including going to the loo, eating and the lack of sleep - and how she is now using her World Record to create a platform for change and to inspire women and girls that they have the power to achieve within. 
Donate to Tori's fundraising campaign:
Fundraiser by Victoria Evans : Sea Change Sport Atlantic Row for Women in Sport (gofundme.com)
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This episode is sponsored by CSM LIVE
Podcast artwork: Jane Stockdale

Gender stereotypes start at birth. For girls, this can lead to a decline in self-belief from as young as 7 years old. Dads/father figures can play a key role in helping their daughters develop confidence and resilience, but many dads, often unconsciously, place more emphasis on their son's sporting activities. Our research shows that 31% of girls feel supported by their dad, compared to 50% of boys. 

The Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered is a free physical activity and education programme for young girls (5-11) and their fathers/father figures who want to be more active together.

Women in Sport delivered the programme in partnership with the EFL Trust, Fatherhood Institute and University of Newcastle (Australia) through funding from Sport England and the National Lottery Fund. 

Over the last 3 years we've helped more than 400 girls, dads/father figures to be more active. The programme also saw girls grow in confidence and self-belief. 

In this episode we talk to: 

• Professor Philip Morgan – founder of Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered at the University of Newcastle in Australia 
• Lee Warren – Daughter and Dads project lead at Women in Sport
• Lucy Ridgway – Girls and Women's Officer at Stoke City Community Trust 
• Jodie Foxhall-Brown  – Stoke City Women's footballer 

We discuss why rough and tumble play is just as important for girls as it is for boys, how dads can play a key part in helping their daughters develop vital movement skills and how the programme helps dads become allies for change.

For more information about Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered click here

Donate to Women in Sport

For International Women's Day 2022, Women in Sport has released new research which found that more than one million teenage girls (43%), who once considered themselves ‘sporty’, disengage from sport following primary school. 

A fear of feeling judged by others, lack of confidence, pressures of schoolwork and not feeling safe outside were some of the reasons given for not wanting to participate for this group of girls. Body image and puberty are also significant factors. 

The need to engage girls in more active lifestyles has never been more urgent. This generation of teenage girls are experiencing worrying mental health issues and report being less happy, more anxious and increasingly dissatisfied with their appearance. 
So, what can be done to bring back the joy to the lives of teenage girls? 

To discuss this and to look at how we can stop teenagers from feeling and being side lined we’re joined by Tanya Martin, Insight Manager at Women in Sport, Alison Oliver, CEO at Youth Sport Trust, Paul McPartlan CEO of Places Leisure and Shruti Saujani, Senior Manager for Cities & Volunteers at the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Thank you to our podcast sponsor CSM Live

The report Reframing Sport For Teenage Girls - Tackling Teenage Disengagement is funded by Sport England.

For more information on Women in Sport head to:
www.womeninsport.org

The countdown is on to the Winter Olympics, which begins on 4th February, with two weeks of action-packed and exciting competition to look forward to. Many of us will be glued to our TV screens watching the death-defying stunts and tricks on snow and ice.
But with such a high level of risk associated with snowsports, how do you encourage girls and women to overcome the fear factor - whether it’s their first lesson or they’re going for gold?
There is also the issue of accessibility. How does a country, with a lack of alpine regions, increase opportunity and diversity to make snowsports more accessible? 
To explore these questions and more, Women in Sport Chief Executive, Stephanie Hilbourne OBE is joined by former Olympic snowboarder Aimee Fuller, Chief Executive for GB Snowsport Victoria Gosling OBE, whose Project Balance Initiative is giving young people the opportunity to learn key transferable skills through skateboarding. 
They’re joined by skateboarders Lyndsey McLaren and Amy Ram who both run programmes to encourage women and girls of all ages to join the skate community. 

For more information about the projects discussed in this podcast head to: 

Project Balance: https://gbsnowsport.com/project-balance-launches-with-aim-to-inspire-inner-city-young-people-with-a-love-for-winter-sports/

Neighbourhood Skate Club: https://www.neighbourhoodskateclub.com/

Girls Night @ BaySixty6 Skate park: https://www.baysixty6.com/

For more information on Women in Sport head to:
www.womeninsport.org

In this podcast we're looking at the challenges of exercising in midlife and how companies and businesses can support their female workforce to be active. We're joined by Carol Bates who set up Crawley Old Girls Football Club, Pippa Andrews, Director at Vitality UK and Victoria Sathasivam from Argent LLP as we talk about the barriers women face and what can be done to grow a healthy, active workforce.