The theme for my year as the President of the Girls’ Schools Association is ‘the voice of the girl’. I am fortunate to be the Head of a girls’ school – like many across the UK – where girls advocate for each other, stand up for what they know is right and have the confidence to share their views. I always say that, like the female firsts who have gone before them, the girls in schools like mine are agents of change and they inspire those younger than them, as well as me, on a daily basis. They are principled young women who will – I know – go onto make a difference.
One area of life about which they feel particularly strongly, (and I can only endorse their enthusiasm given that the daughters of Emmeline Pankhurst attended my school), is the role of women in society and the importance of their school in encouraging them to know that they can succeed in areas that have not always been traditionally associated with women.
It was with all of this in mind, therefore, that I spoke to two of our brilliant young sportswomen about their attitudes towards the recent controversy over Sydney Sweeney’s advert for Novig in which she poses naked and, for some, potentially sexually with various sporting paraphernalia. I asked both girls what they thought of the advert and, by the end of my meeting with them, although we agreed on the marketing success of the advert, (after all, we are all talking about it!) its consequences – whether intentional or not – are of huge concern. This is what they said:
“We fear that young girls will think that they can’t be sporty because they don’t look like Sweeney. When sport is associated with the appearance of the female body rather than about what the female body can do, then the meaning of sport is demeaned. The advert is demoralising, from our perspective, and reminds us of stereotypes from decades ago. Athletic power is not sexual – it’s about sweat and hard work and it’s certainly not glamorous. All body types can enjoy sport and what if this advert – that is all over every social media platform – indicates to a vulnerable young girl that she cannot be involved in sport because she does not feel that she has the body of the woman on the screen?
When we think about sporting role models, [they go onto say], we think about Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith and the amazing Lionesses. These women are strong, they are role models and their bodies are not there for the male gaze. This advert isn’t inspiring for young girls – it is just another way of reiterating the bygone view that women can be objectified. Women have fought hard to overcome this stereotype; let’s not go back there.
We should be advocating for sporting role models who remind young girls and boys that sport is about being healthy, strong and fit. Sport is about being part of a team and about building resilience and character. How does this advert say anything to young people about the physical and mental benefits of sport? It doesn’t and can only do more harm than good.”
We know that girls in girls’ schools maintain higher sports engagement than the national average and GSA research finds that pupils in girls’ schools do 25% more curriculum PE than national data shows for co-educational settings. Furthermore, girls in girls’ schools are nearly 5 times more likely to play those sports – like cricket – that are usually associated with men and are 30% more likely to play football. We should be building on this narrative, and encouraging girls to take part in sport because of the huge benefits it brings. The girls at my school are certainly worried about the potentially negative and harmful messages that could be taken from this advert.
The response of the girls reminds me of a quote by Mia Hamm, the women’s soccer legend, who summarises what true female sport is really like: “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” I know that the girls I spoke to today would agree.
