International Women’s Day 2021 – #ChooseToChallenge

Today is International Women’s Day. It is both a day to celebrate the diversity of womanhood, but more importantly to recognize and take action in the fight for social change. This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge.

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.

Last year, Canadian Women in Sport conducted a survey that reported by age 16 1 in 3 girls drop out of sports. In comparison, the dropout rate for teenage boys aged 16-18 is only one in 10. They reported the following factors preventing them from participating:

• Low self-confidence
• Negative body image
• Perceived lack of skill and
• Not being welcome

We at Fast and Female want to encourage you to #ChooseToChallenge this statistic. Girls in sport are empowered for life! Research conducted by Ernst and Young found that 94 percent of women who hold C-suite level positions are former athletes. Our organization’s vision is harnessing the power of sports and role models to forge a new generation of women leaders!

How YOU Can take action and #ChooseToChallenge

1. Apply to become a Fast and Female REAL (Relatable, Empowered, Active Leaders) Role Model – As the driving force of our organization, you will have direct access to the girls through our in-person and virtual events, empowering them to try new sports and activities
2. Donate towards Fast and Female’s 2021 events and programming – the pandemic has created a unique challenge for creating a sense of belonging for our girls. Donating to our organization will enable us to create new programs, perform rigorous evaluations, and ensure easier accessibility for equity-deserving groups.