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Original poster

Play equipment is a feminist issue

165 replies

artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 08:57

I've posted the message below on chat, but would really like your perspective on this as well. I'm starting to talk to people who might be interested in campaigning on this, so would love feedback.

Quick question, what outdoor play facilities are there in your local area for older children - skate park, graffiti wall, pump track? And how much are they used by girls? And is there anything else that the girls use?

I'm asking because my eyes have been totally opened by the Caroline Criado Perez book, where she points out, almost incidentally, that almost all facilities for older/teenage children are used mostly by boys. I looked at what was on offer in my town and lo, it was all the above, and a football/basketball pitch. And I watched all summer and they were all used by 80% boys at best.

So I really want to know how usual/unusual this is, and any other thoughts that you have.

And yes, I have name changed because anyone who knows me will recognise this issue straight away....

OP posts:
Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:24

And actually, can you DM me the name of the park, as it sounds interesting.

OP posts:
Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:23

@ArnoldWhatshisknickers That's great. Your park and equipment is clearly better designed than ours - and the football/basketball court is free here. So all of this is what I am interested in, as I am sure ours is at the slightly more crappy end of things.

OP posts:
ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 06/11/2019 09:22

Hang out, not hand out

Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:22

@stillathing Yes, staffing is one of the ways in which girls get to use these facilities more.

@ChattyLion. Yes. This. in another part of my life i am writing about why women don't go out in the countryside on their own and why so much of nature writing is produced by what Kathleen Jamie brilliantly called 'the lone, enraptured male'.

@Anotherlongdrive Case study here - www.wpsprague.com/research-1/2017/1/6/more-girls-to-parks-case-study-of-einsiedler-park-viennamilota-sidorova

OP posts:
ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 06/11/2019 09:22

artisanparsnips

Where I live the boys are paying to use football and basketball facilities too.

Skate park and cycling tracks are free but free to all, both sexes, any age. I'm not sure what you expect the council to provide in terms of free facilities for girls. They already dance in the street, run sprints up the hill in the park, just hand out at the picnic benches.

Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:19

According to my 13 year old daughter, more swings. According to the research, better lighting, multi purpose sports areas with different zones, informal climbing and adventure play areas.

And yes, completely agree about younger children - it's what happens when they start going to the park without their parents that the disparity arises.

and yes to your third point and I think the facilities/park design is part of that equation

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stillathing · 06/11/2019 09:18

This is interesting. We have an amazing council run skate /bmx park locally staffed by cool yet kind young adults. It's for under 18s. I've definitely seen some girls but next time I'm there I might analyse. Or I might ask them. The staff are all male I think but they run the place really well, helping beginners and keeping behaviour nice. You don't get intimidating gangs hanging out on top of ramps.

I was into roller skating as a kid but only ever went to skate parks in my 20s with a big group of mates. Would have been too intimidated when I was a kid. I loved skating but was very average. I think I'd have felt, being a girl, I'd have needed to be brilliant to fit in.

ChattyLion · 06/11/2019 09:17

I think it’s part of the early training to keep women out of public spaces. Girls know they aren’t safe to be hanging about for hours in groups in the park because of pervs. Let alone the issues about it being deterred from sports.

Supervise parks properly and then see who comes to use them. Show girls their sporting role models and then see what they want to do.

Anotherlongdrive · 06/11/2019 09:16

So what would you add that would attract more girls?

Anotherlongdrive · 06/11/2019 09:16

What in the park woild they want you to provide?

Also when kids are young they all generally use these facilities.

If girls dont as they get older, we need to look at the reason teenage girls are reluctant to take part in sport and fitness in general and tackle that.

Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:15

In our town I would guess that it is no more than 20% of girls using these facilities, and the pump track is almost 100% boys.

OP posts:
Original poster
artisanparsnips · 06/11/2019 09:13

It's a feminist issue - at least it is in my town - because the council is spending large amount of money on facilities and not providing anything for girls, or considering their needs, which is against the law.

One of the reasons girls don't use parks is because there is nothing there for them - and there have been alterations to parks in Europe which result in girls using them much more, including for sport.

Also @ArnoldWhatshisknickers , in your example the girls are paying for the classes rather than having them provided for free.

OP posts:
Anotherlongdrive · 06/11/2019 09:13

skate park, graffiti wall, pump track? And how much are they used by girls? And is there anything else that the girls use?

Our parks that have these things are uses by boys and girls.

I am confused as to what your issue is.

What are you suggesting is missing from parks that stops girls wanting to go?

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 06/11/2019 09:09

I would call these things sports facilities, not play facilities.

It is well known that teenage boys are more interested in sports than teenage girls. You could dissect the reasons for that but if girls aren't choosing to use sports facilities that's no reason to not provide them. I don't see many teenage boys using the dance facilities at my local community centre, or joining the yoga class.

Velveteenfruitbowl · 06/11/2019 09:02

I’m not sure that’s necessarily a femenist issue unless you are suggesting that teenage girls should be into that nonsense or that they secret are into it and are being prevented from using it. In our town we have a skate park etc which is used mostly by boys and lots of cafes and nice parks to sit in which are used mostly by girls. I don’t think there is really an inequality in the quantity of ‘girl’ spaces and ‘boy’ spaces (taking into account that the ‘girl’ spaces are shared with the community at large), more that teenaged girls don’t seem to be interested in skating ramps and prefer using more universal spaces which they share with adults.

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