Bid to keep girls in the game as 'one in three giving up sport due to period anxiety'

  • Report by ITV Wales reporter, Kate Lewis

A third of teenage girls and women are giving up playing football and other sports because they don't want to take part when they have their period, according to latest research.

It's a statistic that both the Welsh Government and Football Association of Wales (FAW) say they're working to address.

The FAW is working with all of its clubs to normalise and encourage everyone to be open when it comes to tackling the stigma. Its Ocean Park Arena training facilities was created as a hub for women's football in Cardiff. 

Cardiff City Women are urging players and coaches to 'open up' about periods

Players like Cardiff City's Megan Bowen are among those opening up about the issues experienced whilst training and using facilities at other grounds. She hopes it will encourage others to do the same with their coaches.

She said: "We've got enough to deal with if we are training, the pressure on a game day, without thinking 'oh, what happens if there is nothing in the toilets?'"

"There are more grounds now that have sanitary bins, sanitary products but there are still certain places that are maybe lacking that and I think that, all it takes is someone to 'come on' and there is nothing there and it's a lot of pressure to deal with, especially as a young athlete."

Having facilities with the right equipment can make a "big difference" especially on game day, according to Cardiff City's Hollie Smith who says it is a "massive relief off your shoulders."

She said: "There is nothing worse than turning up to a facility and there are no bins in the toilets so you're like 'where do I put anything?' or if you've come on your period unexpectedly, you don't have anything with you.

"Just a facility having those sorts of equipment for you is massive, it's such a relief when you know you can feel comfortable and even if it does spring a surprise on you, that the facility has got you covered."

"Let's do something about it" says Cardiff City Women's Team Physio Aimi Healey-Bracher

Cardiff City Women Team Physio, Aimi Healey-Bracher, says she always has a full kit bag on her.

"As well as tapes and strapping, I usually have tampons, sanitary towels, anything they might need," she said.

"As well as hair bobbles, clips, paracetamol, Ibuprofen, anything they need really."

Aimi added: "There's so many girls dropping out of sport at young ages, if you lose your love of activity and sport at that age, then it impacts you negatively. Potentially for the rest of your life and on into older age as well.

"It's important for girls to enjoy sport and to have the opportunities to participate in any level they wish in any sport they want really. If that's what is holding them back let's do something about it."

Head of Woman & Girls Football, Lowri Roberts says "It's just about normalising the conversation"

The FAW is working with all of its clubs to normalise and encourage everyone to be open when it comes to tackling the stigma around periods.

Its Head of Woman & Girls Football, Lowri Roberts said: "We know the appetite is there. We know girls want to play. So what can we do now to remove any barriers to ensure that we are retaining them for longer that they are not dropping out when they are age 13 or 14.

"Most of the stuff we are talking, the barriers, does not cost any money to remove. It's just about normalising the conversation and building confidence in the environment for coaches, for parents and the players to feel that they can talk about their menstrual cycle."

Two core aims of the Welsh Government’s Period Proud Wales plan are to tackle period poverty, by improving access to sanitary products, and ensuring period dignity, by removing any sense of stigma or shame associated with periods.

Welsh Government has committed £24m in capital funding over the next three years to Sport Wales to develop facilities across Wales

It's invested around £12 million to ensure that children and young people and those on low incomes have access to free period products.

Social Justice Minister, Jane Hutt MS, hopes tackling both of these will improve women and girls’ participation in sport.

"It's about education," she said.

"It's about schools, curriculum, it's also about encouraging girls into sport, particularly football. But it's also about tackling period poverty, and providing products.

"That's what we've been doing by funding the provision of those products directly in our schools and communities."

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