The 2024 Paris Olympics mark the first gender-equitable Olympic Games in history, with equal numbers of men and women athletes. Audiences today are being exposed to the phenomenal accomplishments of women athletes more than ever before.
This year also saw the launch of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, the Northern Super League, is set to begin in 2025, and the WNBA granted Toronto an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026.
But despite these advancements, only 31 per cent of Canadian girls are currently meeting established physical activity guidelines. In particular, sports participation has been declining in Canada over time and with age. As many as 62 per cent of Canadian girls are not participating in sports of any kind — a decline of at least 14 per cent over the past decade.
