The Rally Report: Encouraging Action to Improve Sport for Women and Girls

The call to play, move, and compete is a rallying cry that excites us, challenges us, and inspires us to come together. 

The Rally Report, produced in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and with research completed by IMI International, explores current Canadian trends in sport participation with a specific focus on the target groups of girls ages 6–18. 

Overall, The Rally Report shows that sport participation levels for Canadian girls are much lower than boys.  Among girls who have participated in sport, there is a dramatic dropout rate observed with 1 in 3 girls leaving sport by late adolescence. By comparison, the dropout rate for teenage boys (aged 16-18) is only 1 in 10. Sport participation rates for Canadian girls decline steadily from childhood to adolescence with as many as 62% of girls not playing sport at all.

This study is designed to inform, educate, and inspire action across Canada and to keep girls in sport. We invite you to rally with us—to drive change and build the momentum we need to achieve gender equity. Let’s use our collective voices to advocate for sport that is inclusive and reflects our values. 

It’s Rally Time!

The power of sport to empower girls is undeniable. It helps them push boundaries, build connections, and develop confidence. Sport is an important launching pad as we build the next generation of women leaders.

Watch some of Canada’s top sport figures to discuss why we need more Canadian girls In the Game.

Hosted in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and Homestand Sports.

Related Resources:

• Learn how to create safe and respectful environments for girls to participate in sport and physical activity with the Keeping Girls in Sport e-module, for coaches and activity leaders.
• She Belongs offers practical recommendations to create social connection and better engage girls in the Learn to Train and Train to Train stages of the Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Framework (LTD). 
• Canadian Women & Sport releases a yearly “Snapshot” of gender diversity in sport leadership, reflecting gender composition at the board and senior staff level. This Snapshot is based on a survey of Canadian National Sport Organizations (NSOs) and Multisport Service Organizations (MSOs).
• Canadian Women & Sport partnered with Canada’s dairy farmers for the Fuelling Women Champions initiative and published Women in Sport – Fuelling a Lifetime of Participation, the precursor to this report, in March 2016.