Irish Squash Invests €20,000 in Women’s Squash Initiatives

Irish Squash has distributed €20,000 in Women in Sport funding to eight affiliated squash clubs. The funding was made possible following a successful application by Irish Squash for Sport Ireland’s 2023 Women in Sport funding. Clubs are set to deliver a broad range of programs, including women and girls participation initiatives, coaching courses, and school outreach, aimed at addressing key priority areas outlined in the Sport Ireland Women in Sport Policy.

The Sport Ireland policy outlines several key objectives to promote gender equality within the sporting landscape:

• Recognising gender balance on boards as best practice, urging all sports organisations to aspire to achieve this.
• Increasing the representation of women in governance and leadership positions.
• Cultivating a culture within sporting organisations that values and acknowledges women’s contributions to leadership and governance, recognising it as fundamental to their growth and development.
• Creating opportunities and support structures that encourage sustained participation in sports by women and girls of all ages and backgrounds.
• Addressing the drop-out rate among teenage girls in physical activity and sports.
• Elevating the visibility and profile of women’s sports and women in sports.
• Broadening the coaching and officiating base to include more women and girls at all levels, from grassroots to high performance.

Irish Squash, supported by our network of affiliated clubs, aims to move the dial on female membership, which currently stands at approximately 30%. From a governance perspective, Irish Squash is fully compliant with the Action Plan for Sport 2021-2023, which requires all NGBs to achieve 40% gender representation on their boards by the end of 2023. The Irish Squash board composition currently stands at 60% female.

Funded Women in Sport programs will be operated in Ballina SC, Celtic SC, Curragh SC, Highfield SC, Fitzwilliam SC, Mt Pleasant SC, Sutton SC, and Westport SC. Visit club websites and social media accounts to learn more about the specific programs being run in each club.