Nearly 25% of UK girls 'rarely' feel like they fit in playing sport

Keely Hodgkinson has just won the Olympic 800m gold medal, becoming a renewed poster girl for athletes in track and field, or in fitness generally.

But we’ve still got miles to go when it comes to crossing the finish line in creating a supportive environment for young women to participate in when playing sport and engaging in physical activity, reveals new research from global children and girls’ rights charity, Plan International UK.

Of the 1,000 UK girls aged 14-21 surveyed, 24% said they ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ felt they fitted in when playing sport. The top reasons cited by all participants for feeling uncomfortable in a sporting environment were:

Personal insecurities about their body (51%)
Self-doubt about sporting abilities (50%)
Feeling judged (48%)
Having been bullied or made fun of in sports settings before (28%)
Feeling excluded in the game (26%)
Feeling under constant pressure to perform better (23%)

Amelia Whitworth, Head of Policy, Campaigns & Youth at Plan International UK, says: ‘Keely Hodgkinson’s incredible achievement – and becoming the first female Olympic athletics gold medal since 2012 for Great Britain – will no doubt inspire a generation of girls. But it will only have a lasting effect if we tackle the barriers that girls and women still face to equal engagement and participation in sports.

‘It’s deeply concerning that girls and young women are continuing to feel out of place whilst playing sport. Every girl deserves an inclusive environment where they feel welcome and empowered to enjoy any sport they choose.

‘Our recent State of Girls’ Rights in the UK 2024 report finds that no matter where in the UK girls are, they are not experiencing the progress on gender equality that they’ve been promised. We urgently need to see a plan for bold action from the UK Government to remove the biggest barriers to gender equality.’