Over a six month period between October 2015 and March 2016, , funded by Sport England, which explored innovative ways to recruit, develop and retain women different backgrounds in coaching, activation and leadership. Each day this week in honour of our birthday we will be presenting some of the findings to you!
Over a six month period between October 2015 and March 2016, sports coach UK supported seven projects, funded by Sport England, which explored innovative ways to recruit, develop and retain women different backgrounds in coaching, activation and leadership.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups are underrepresented in coaching, and this is particularly true of Muslim women. However, Dr Aisha Ahmad, a researcher in Muslim women and sport, points out that physical activity and wellbeing is heavily promoted in Islamic teaching. And, while there are issues around segregation and dress, some Islamic countries, such as Iran, have put a lot of investment into women’s sport facilities and opportunities. There’s therefore no reason why Muslim women in the UK shouldn’t be equally engaged.
It goes without saying that recruiting strong Muslim women as leaders and role models is fundamental. But there are other things that can help. Here, we pull together some tips from projects already running in areas with large Muslim communities.
Small adaptations can often overcome these constraints. “One of our success stories is our lifeguarding qualification,” says Michelle Morris of Team Beds and Luton. “A group of mainly BAME women asked if they could train to be lifeguards. They love swimming but are put off by the fact there are no female lifeguards. So the national governing body devised a three-month programme that’s really flexible and meets the needs of these women. It has slightly relaxed rules about what they wear, while still keeping within health and safety guidelines, and we try to use school pools as they’re more private, although they can be harder to book.
“Another group has asked if I could fund them for an archery qualification – it seem to be quite a popular sport within that community. We’re planning a female-only group.” However, she adds, it’s not always easy to find a female coach for some types of activity and you need to be prepared to fund travel costs for female coaches from outside the area.
Location is also key when planning activities. “They need to feel they are not being overlooked when exercising.” And this also applies to the route from the changing room to the space where the session will take place.
This is always a good plan, whatever your audience. But if you’re communicating with people whose English isn’t fluent, make a special effort to keep written materials straightforward and concise, and use visuals and an active approach in workshops rather than talking too much.
If possible, find bilingual leaders, says Michelle. “The lady who runs our nutrition workshop is bilingual in Urdu. She’s also able to give some real life examples that relate to that community.”
During the Muslim month of fasting, many women won’t eat or drink between dawn and sunset. Often they’ll want to skip exercise during this period, although some may still be keen to exercise at a lower intensity or take part in something less strenuous, such as yoga.
Very strict Muslims believe that photographs of people are for private family viewing and not for public display, and photographing women is taboo in some Muslim countries. You may therefore find that women are reluctant to be photographed for sharing in publicity materials or on social media. However, a group may agree to being photographed from the back, says Michelle, and the rows of headscarves can create a powerful image.
Recognise that there are more similarities than differences
Many of the issues that prevent women participating – lack of confidence, poor body image, family responsibilities – affect women of all races and cultures. There’s also the perception that Muslim women are more likely to be submissive because they choose to cover themselves, when this is often far from the case. Aisha Ahmed says: “I was running some netball sessions, which included a few women who were fully veiled. We got a coach in and after the session, she said, ‘I can’t believe you guys are so competitive,’ and they just said ‘Why wouldn’t we be?’ They wanted to win as much as anyone else.”