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Engages other life skills such as leadership and teamwork.
Girls, women and gender diverse people face many barriers to participating in sport and recreation and are not well represented at all levels of the Canadian sport system. This means they often miss out on the full benefits of being involved in sport and recreation.
What does gender equity in sport and recreation mean?
Gender equity means making sure everyone, regardless of gender, has a fair chance to play and access sport and recreation resources. This includes access to sport-based programs, sport facilities, and leadership opportunities such as coaching. It also means identifying barriers, imbalances and unfair treatment and working to fix these to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to play.
What is the difference between equality and equity?
Equality means giving the same and equal resources to everyone. Equality focuses on creating the same starting line.
Equity means giving individuals what they need to succeed. Equity focuses on getting individuals to the finish line.
Click here to view the Canadian Women & Sport Gender Equity Builds Better Sport infographic.
Canadian Women & Sport - Rally Reports
Canadian Women & Sport is a leading organization in gender equity and advocacy in sport and physical activity. They are experts on systemic change and strive to build a stronger, more equitable sport system for girls and women and for all Canadians.
Canadian Women & Sport have released several reports which detail the current state of sport for girls:
Similar numbers of boys and girls start out in sport, but across adolescence, one in three girls drop out of sport vs. one in ten boys (The Rally Report 2020).
Fifty per cent of girls are not participating in sport by adolescence (The Rally Report 2022).
Girls experience unique barriers to sport participation. One in three girls reported low confidence, negative body image, perceived lack of skill and poor perceptions of belonging and feeling unwelcome as factors preventing them from continuing in sport (The Rally Report 2020).
Town of Ajax Recreational Sport Program Review
The Recreation & Culture department reviewed participation rates across children (5-11 years) and youth (12-17 years) co-ed recreational sport programs. We examined:
263 registered programs
Fall 2017 to Winter 2024
Here is what we found:
Girls represent only 22% of participants across all registered co-ed sport programs.
Image: Girls represent approximately two of ten participants in Town of Ajax recreational sport programs.
Most co-ed sport programs show a large imbalance in participation rates. Boys make up 75% of all participants across 10 of 17 program categories.
In three program categories -- hockey, basketball and cricket -- boys represent over 90% of participants.
When offered, girls-only sport programs serve five times more girls than co-ed sport programs.
Gender-Specific Programs
The Town of Ajax provides a variety of gender-specific programming, designed to support the unique needs of girls and women. These programs create a safe space free from the social pressures and gender stereotypes that often create barriers to participation for female-identifying individuals. Girls and women-only programming fosters a supportive and empowering environment where self-identifying females can thrive both athletically and personally.
Camps:
Elevate GirlSport Camp - Ages 7-10 years
Elevate GirlSport Camp provides a multi-sport experience for girls aged 7-10. Participants will be introduced to various cooperative activities and sports including floor hockey, soccer, basketball, softball, tennis and recreational swimming.
Specialty workshops will be facilitated by trained and expert female staff and athletes.
Elevate GirlSport Camp aims to promote lifelong physical activity, help build confidence and self-esteem, empower girls to pursue sport opportunities and be proud to play!
Elevate GirlSport Camp provides a multi-sport experience for girls aged 11-14. Participants will be introduced to various cooperative activities and sports including floor hockey, soccer, basketball, softball, tennis and recreational swimming. They will also gain hands-on coaching and leadership experience.
Specialty workshops will be facilitated by trained and expert female staff and athletes.
Elevate GirlSport Camp aims to promote lifelong physical activity, help build confidence and self-esteem, empower girls to pursue sport opportunities and be proud to play!
Add some ease and flow to your day. This women-only class introduces standing and seated yoga sequences where one posture flows into the next, and movement is synchronized with breath. Please bring a yoga mat.
Ages: 13+ years
Available during Winter 2026 program registration.
Get all the benefits of working with a certified fitness professional in a group setting. Your trainer will introduce you to a variety of fitness programming throughout this 12-week session to boost metabolism, enhance bone density and promote overall well-being. Two sessions per week. Maximum 6 participants.
Ages: 18+ years
Available during Winter 2026 program registration.
Ready to tackle your fitness goals? This program is designed for women of all fitness levels to gain strength, confidence, and camaraderie. Using a variety of equipment, the classes focus on strength training, cardiovascular fitness, and functional movement patterns to progress participants towards their optimal fitness level. Each class starts with mobility movements to prepare for exercise and finishes with therapeutic stretches to round out the perfect session.
Note: this class is held in a room with window coverings for privacy.
Ages: 18+ years
Available during Winter 2026 program registration.
A basketball program designed for girls only! Learn the fundamentals of basketball and develop skills in dribbling, shooting and passing. Every class will be highlighted with game play!
Ages: 7-12 years
Available during Winter, Spring and Fall program registration.
Get ready to volley, bump and spike your way into a fun Girls Only environment. Fundamental skills will be developed in a no pressure environment, learning serving, passing, setting and teamwork. All skill levels welcomed.
Ages: 7-12 years
Available during Winter 2026 program registration.
She shoots, she scores! Develop skills in passing, dribbling, scoring and learn the rules of indoor soccer. Girls use their new skills to face-off in weekly friendly games.
Ages: 7-12 years
Available during Winter, Spring and Fall program registration.
Swim with other females with the same goals. You’ll work towards a 10-15 metre swim on your front and back. You’ll do jump entries from the side and recover an object from the bottom in chest-deep water. Improve your fitness and your flutter kick with 4 x 9-12 metre interval training.
Ages: 18+ years.
Available during Winter, Spring and Fall program registration.
Swim with other females with the same goals. Kick it up a notch working on two interval training workouts of 4 x 25 metres kicking and front or back crawl. You’ll be able to perform dive entries and demonstrate breaststroke arms and breathing over 10-15 metres. You’ll be supporting yourself at the surface for 1-2 minutes and showing off your handstands in shallow water.
Ages: 18+ years
Available during Winter, Spring and Fall program registration.
Move and groove using the resistance of the water to work your entire body. The majority of the class will focus on cardiovascular training, incorporating some muscle conditioning movements to finish up. This is a Group Fitness Drop-In activity. Space is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. For a schedule and applicable Pay-Go and 10-Pass Fees, please stop by the Community Centre Customer Service Desk.
Vision: Building pathways to sport for girls and women.
The Recreation & Culture department will work towards creating an equitable recreational sport space by focusing on the following pathways:
Programs
The Recreation & Culture department is working to strengthen its efforts to increase participation for female-identifying participants.
This means providing anyone who identifies as a girl or woman with a variety of activities and programs that suit their needs, interests and experiences. Some activities will be the same as those for others, some will be adjusted and some will be completely different.
Our Impact 2023-2024:
FIVE new female-centred sport programs introduced.
394 female-identifying participants served through new programs/initiatives.
Elevate GirlSport Camp
2023
Elevate GirlSport camp participant learning to how to bat with Canadian Olympian Natalie Wideman.
2024
Elevate GirlSport camp participants practicing their throwing skills.
Training
Recreation & Culture program staff have had the opportunity to receive training focused on girl-centered program design and engaging and retaining girls in sport.
Canadian Women and Sport – GTA Same Game Challenge
Recreation & Culture staff participated in the 2023-2024 GTA Same Game Challenge.
Same Game is a step-by-step toolkit to help sport leaders at all levels bring their gender equity vision to life. The evidence-based model helps organizations:
Develop effective solutions to engage more women and girls in sport.
Collect and analyze data to help make decisions.
Engage key staff, coaches, volunteers and others who are instrumental in helping move gender equity projects forward.
Share their goals and progress.
Jays Care Foundation – Girls at Bat
In March 2024, the Recreation & Culture department participated as a host community to implement the Girls at Bat program, an introductory baseball program designed to create spaces that empower girls and remove barriers to sport participation. Staff training focused on:
Inclusion and retention of girls in sport.
Four pillars: connection, courage, leadership and love of sport.
Recreation & Culture program staff trained through the Jays Care Foundation – Girls at Bat program.
Marketing & Promotion
We developed the Elevate Girls wordmark – a visual identifier designed to unify all girls-focused programming offered in the Town of Ajax. We selected a sporty font and a colour palette that felt empowering and inclusive, steering away from overly stereotypical or traditionally gendered choices.
The Recreation & Culture department strives to ensure that marketing and promotional materials are inclusive and reflective of the Ajax community. This means:
Showcasing people of all genders in sport.
Balanced gender representation across promotional materials.
Girls and women are not stereotyped in images or language.
Resources
Want to learn more? Check out organizations leading the way in research, advocacy and gender equity initiatives.
Canadian Parks & Recreation Association (CPRA)
The Canadian Parks & Recreation Association is the national voice for recreation and parks, advancing the collective interest of its members through leadership in advocacy, policy and research. CPRA is a contributor of knowledge and opportunities that enhance and grow the sector.
Canadian Women & Sport is dedicated to creating an equitable and inclusive Canadian sport and physical activity system that empowers girls and women -- as active participants and leaders -- within and through sport. This organization partners with sport organizations, governments and leaders to build better sport through gender equity.
Nike in partnership with Girls Inc., Game Growers, Play Academy & Women Win
Nike has partnered with a number of organizations to provide some valuable resources aimed at keeping kids, especially girls, in sport through its Made to Play portal including the Coaching Girls Guide: How to get (and keep) girls playing.
The Sport Information Resource Centre is Canada’s leader in advancing sport through knowledge and evidence. SIRC is committed to engaging with organizations and individuals involved in the development of sport, recreation and physical education in Canada.
Founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation was established to advance the lives of women and girls through sport and physical activity. Its mission is to enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life.
The Body Confident Sport initiative was created to help girls and young people of all gender identities feel more comfortable being active and participating in sport. The easy-to-use program curriculum and guides equips coaches with the knowledge, tools and inspiration to build body confident athletes.
The Coaches Association of Ontario is an independent, non-profit organization that supports coaches from community level to high performance across all sports in Ontario. The CAO works to provide coach development, funding opportunities and events to provide support, recognition and representation for all coaches in Ontario.
The Hijabi Ballers Community Toolkit is a resource designed to provide tips for coaches, sports clubs and athletes on how to include Muslim females in the athletic space.
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