$2.4 million program partnership to empower girls in sport
4 December 2018
The NSW Government will invest $2.4 million in a statewide rollout of the University of Newcastle’s award-winning lifestyle program Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered.
By helping fathers to improve their daughters’ physical activity levels, sport skills and social-emotional wellbeing, Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered is a key component of a four-year, multifaceted strategy called Her Sport Her Way.
In announcing the initiative, NSW Minister for Sport Stuart Ayers hoped the strategy would drive powerful change for women and girls in sport, expanding participation levels and leaving a legacy for future coaching and promotion.
“In recent years, women’s sport has experienced enormous success on and off the field with record crowds and television audiences,” Minister Ayes said. “But there is still significant work to be done to increase participation, improve facilities and attract investment.”
Currently, only 21 per cent of NSW girls younger than 14 participate in organised sport and physical activity outside of school, at least three times a week. Participation rates plateau at adolescence while boys’ rates are higher and continue to rise.
The four-year funding for the Daughters and Dads program will enable NSW Sports and Recreation staff to be trained to deliver the program, while sports-specific variants are developed for major sporting organisations.
