Play equipment is a feminist issue

[artisanparsnips]

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....

Thinking about it the places I have seen teenage girls most involved in using equipment type outdoor activities have been private estates with large scale assault/adventure type courses. Culzean Castle has a good example of the type, but I imagine these are very expensive to set up and that they would be difficult to police in terms of vandalism if they were council run free activities.

I don't think the girls are intimidated, or they wouldn't be there at all.
There's a world of difference between sitting around and being an audience for the lads, and how girls might feel if they tried to join in themselves. Presumably, if they don't normally practice they'd be at a much lower level of ability which would encourage patronising and possibly humiliating comments from the more expert boys. It sets up a vicious cycle, with the girls put in their place as the ones cheering on the boys from the sidelines.

@ArnoldWhatshisknickers I think you're right there. It is possible to produce smaller scale versions of these in public parks, and they do seem to improve girls' participation. (Google Cowley Teenage Space, it's tiny but does the job)

True, Upfield.
But that's the same for anyone starting out isn't it? The boys endure jeers when they fall off.
So what is it about boys that makes them able to endure the jeers, and girls not.
Socialisation, I guess. There are some girls who skate, are they the ones who brush off the jeering? And why?

Their could be netball hoops in parks as well as basketball areas. But we all know what will happen, the netball hoops will get damaged cos they are lower down. Damaged by the older boys

Please explain why basketball is relevant to boys and netball to girls

My DS plays both at school and his basketball club has girls and boys teams. The girls reached the U16 playoffs this year

Basketball England do promote the male and female pathways

In the park across from our old house, there were tennis courts with no nets but chalk marks and fenced. They were used by both sexes for a range of ball games ie tennis, football, dodgeball. There was a small cycle track which was used by both sexes but mainly girls. An adventure park and a small sand park - used by both sexes.

Near our new house, there is a play park - used fairly equally. Outdoor gym equipment - tends to be used by adults rather than DCs and I've seen men and women using it.

Beside DM's, there is a skate park - mainly boys. Tennis courts - both sexes. Play park and benches - mainly girls.

I think you're right although my town doesn't have any play equipment for children over 6 which is also a problem. I would also like to see more equipment for adults too to do exercises. I have only seen them in France at service stations.

I have only seen them in France at service stations.

They are pretty common. There isn't one in our village, but it's a pretty small village (we just got a skate park though).
I see them around very often.

Hi - you asked why i considered basketball boys and netballs girls. I dont. Its just all the local schools girls play netball and boys dont. So its a sport they have more exposure to. Girls can do all of these sports but they arent so just providing the stuff thats already there isnt working. It might be the netball cort get dominated by the boys too. Who knows

Outdoor gyms are great, I don't know if girls would use them or not, but the ones I've seen have been used by all ages. Great for anyone who can't afford a gym pass:
www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/deals-hunter/2017/06/free-outdoor-gyms-save-100s-year-gym-membership/]

Oh re the male policing of playground space, there has only been, as far as I can tell, one small study, but this concluded that girls are less physically active when boys are present (an effect which does not happen in reverse) and that in play boys regulate activity across both genders and do exclude girls.

full report here

Sorry, that link went wrong, I'll try again:
link

A space for a permanent Roller Derby track with a couple of boards up giving clear explanations of the rules - that would also have the effect of enticing existing Derby Squads to go there, and two full squads of fit and active women wearing protective gear plus zebras and benches of supporters/people not playing today should be enough to persuade girls that they'd be safe/it's their space too and dissuade boys from being misogynistic little shites. Perhaps a team would be prepared to offer free/cheap baby derby sessions in exchange for free or reduced rental?

It's not just the younger lads dominating the space that's off-putting, but also the pervy older blokes. I remember trying to go jogging with a friend when I was about 14 around the playing fields and getting rude comments from a random bloke calling out at us, I don't think we did it again. As soon as a girl or group of girls are engaged in any kind of physical activity it becomes pornified in the minds of male observers who see it as their place to display dominance and comment on your activity. So dispiriting.

Hi Grasspigeons I think this is something schools do need to address. There’s no good reason for basketball to be a boys sport or netball girls. Unfortunately there is a lack of funding and support for girls team sports.

Another thought about the way equipment is provided currently, is that it's boys who see their wishes and needs made solid in the environment around them.

One research project which asked girls what they wanted got as one answer:
they also wanted places where they could co-create to reflect their own experiences and make an impact on their urban environment.

The urban infrastructure around us is also about whose needs and desires are being noticed and privileged as part of society as well as what you actually do when you are out there.

There's a big skate park in the middle of my city, which has really good facilities for skateboards and BMX bikes. The problem is that it is poorly policed- there's frequent anti-social behaviour and lots of older males hanging around it. I don't see many girls using it at all, maybe one or two in all the times I've been passed it. I wouldn't be very happy with my DS using it either because of the alcohol and drug use.

My old council funded free self defence courses for women and girls with a female instructor at a local sports centre. I did it and it was great! More classes and activities being funded would be popular with girls I think.

I photocopied relevant pages of "Invisible Women" and sent it to my local Cllrs who Chair the Young Peoples, Parks, Facilities committees, with a recommendation that they read the whole book. Once you read it your eyes are opened. I pass primary school playgrounds all the time where the boys dominate the space playing football and the girls stand at the edges chatting. Everyone thinks it's normal and then wonders why engagement with sport plummets for teenage girls. The whole book is an eye opener.

UpfieldHatesWomen

You won't believe this, but the first time I saw that outdoor gym equipment, was when I visited Iran (Tehran) back in 2009, and people of all ages were using it. They seemed to be evident in most of the parks and were kept in good condition. I think one of the main problems we have in the UK is vandalism.

livingintehran.com/2018/08/19/free-outdoor-gyms-across-tehran/

At all the skate parks I've ever seen, the boys do the skating and the girls hang about sitting on benches. I don't think the girls are intimidated, or they wouldn't be there at all.

I disagree! I used to be that girl hanging out with skateboarding boys. It never occurred to me to join in on my roller skates until I was in my 20s, despite roller skating since childhood. I didn't have the confidence to take risks like that in front of them, in case I was crap. I feel really sad thinking about this now.

IMO, Pinkification is to blame. And yes, that's a serious observation.

Look at how we (as in society) 'sort' and categorize our kids from birth. Aisles for girls: pastel pinks and lilacs resembling an explosion in a sugared almond factory. Boys' aisles: bright primary colours. As recently as the 70s and 80s, the latter category were the generic colours for children. This [marketing] division has happened recently.

And it doesn't stop at pink and blue. I was asked about my baby 'girl' because he had a purple pram. Since when was purple 'gendered?' And so it goes on.

Then there's content. Girls: unicorns, rainbows, castles and Disney. Boys: lego, dinosaurs, castles (hooray I found a unisex one, but they're still differentiated by colour).

So by their teens, they're well and truly lost to these barking mad conventions and they're 'naturally' (more accurately, conditioned) to sort themselves into categories perceived to be based on gender. By this reasoning skate parks might very well be perceived as male, even though they're really not.

A number of the recreational facilities in our general area have zip lines. The same differentiation doesn't seem to apply to these. But to most, i.e. football and cricket pitch, climbing frames etc, it does.

It's all completely arbitrary, completely baseless, yet ever-present, drip-fed and insidious ideology which causes our young people no end of problems. Some people see it as frivolously harmless: 'ah, but little girls like pink, don't they?' I see it as an ominous problem and a backward step in social equality. And unfortunately, it's not one that's likely to go away any time soon.

My old council funded free self defence courses for women and girls with a female instructor at a local sports centre. I did it and it was great! More classes and activities being funded would be popular with girls I think.

Yes this is another thing I have been bothering the council about, they fund lots of mens and mixed sports but nothing for women.

@Dilkhush Did you get a reply from them at all. My local council - apart from a couple of onside women councillors - dislike me because they have been exposed as being sexist and they don't like that at all.

As soon as a girl or group of girls are engaged in any kind of physical activity it becomes pornified in the minds of male observers who see it as their place to display dominance and comment on your activity. So dispiriting.

Slightly off topic but have you tried Park Run?
The male/female mix is very even (my two local runs had 22m/29f and 244m/204f respectively last week.
All ages are present, it's very supportive. I'm not aware of any kind of pornification taking place, it's very supportive and very fun.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks. I don't disagree at all, but at the same time it's possible to make changes to parks so that girls use them more. Which is a start.