Province sets out game plan to tackle sports gender gap

Aims to boost participation rates of women, girls on the field and behind the bench

The Ontario government wants to boost the number of women and girls participating in sports as part of its game plan to address a gender gap that has led to far fewer females on the field and behind the bench.

The plan, released Tuesday in Toronto by Eleanor McMahon, the province’s minister of tourism, culture and sport, will create an advisory group to suggest how to increase participation.

It will also ensure youth programs are welcoming, with properly trained staff, and push for 60 minutes of activity each day, either during or after school.

McMahon said the plan will make “the entire sports system more equitable, welcoming and inclusive,” and she will present it to sports ministers from across the country at a meeting later this week.

“Our action plan will help level the playing field between men and women, so that everyone has the chance to achieve their potential — on and off the field,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne, in a written statement. Wynne, who once held a high school record for the 440-yard dash, has said “being an athlete has had a direct and power influence on my life and career.”

According to research, just 2 per cent of teenage girls get enough activity, and only one in 10 takes gym class after Grade 9, the only high school year it is mandatory. Among women, one in five participate in sport, compared to more than onethird of men. Among coaches, women — both at the national level and at post-secondary institutions — typically make up fewer than one in five. For 2016-17, the government pledged $1.3 million on activities and competitions for girls and women, as well as programming for at-risk parents and kids.