THE Falkland Islands National Sports Council’s excellent idea to use National Girls and Women in Sport Day to encourage women into local clubs was the inspiration for this week’s centre pages, looking back at some of our sportswomen in recent history.
While my chat with Mrs Mally McLeod about physical education at Darwin School wasn’t strictly on the record, I’m sure she won’t mind me saying I’m still chuckling at her description of the sack race as “that one in the bag.”
It was a genuinely joyful feature to research. Not only did I have the pleasure of hearing the women’s stories first-hand, I also found myself leafing through copies of the Falkland Islands Magazine from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s in search of sporting snippets.
What struck me was how little reporting there was on women in sport during those decades. Had I ventured longer into 1970s and 80s editions of Penguin News, there would likely have been more to find. During a quick look I did spot a rather splendid chunky headline celebrating Corina Goss winning the Evans Shield for Best Athlete. But even without going further forward in time, I already had more words than I knew what to do with.
What gives the feature its real colour, though, is the enthusiasm in the women’s voices. It is clear that sport brought them joy, confidence and moments of genuine pride. And that pride matters. For much of history, women were not especially encouraged to take centre stage. Being openly ambitious or visibly proud was not always viewed as suitably “feminine.” Echoes of that thinking linger, even if we prefer to imagine they do not.
For me, femininity is whatever we choose it to be: quiet or bold, pink or green, climbing or crocheting, boxing or baking. The important thing is having the opportunity.
And opportunity is the point. I recall reading that fewer women than men in the Falklands participate in sport and clubs. That makes the National Sports Council’s campaign all the more relevant.
The difference does not surprise me. It is not that women lack interest, the women on these pages make very clear how much they loved their sport. More often, it is a question of time and responsibility. While we do not have Falklands data, UK figures from the Office for National Statistics show that even women in paid employment spend around six to seven hours more per week than men on unpaid work such as housework and caring.
If that is the case elsewhere, it is not difficult to imagine similar pressures here.
Which makes it all the more important that girls see sport not as a luxury, but as something that belongs to them. Not something to squeeze in if everything else is done, but something that enriches their lives in its own right. If this week’s campaign encourages even a few more women and girls to pull on their trainers, sign up, or simply have a go, that feels like a very good place to land.
