Teenage girls and public space/facilities : an update

[makespaceforgirls]

I posted a while back about how rubbish my local council's reaction was when I pointed out that all of their park facilities for teenagers where predominantly used by boys.

Things didn't get any better, so I did some research. And then I co-opted my feminist lawyer friend, and now we're a campaigning group, hoping to be a charity soon. So welcome to Make Space for Girls.

Our website is here, and that will also give you our Twitter. We're on Facebook too.

We'd hoped to launch ourself with a pilot project working with teenage girls, but COVID has put the brakes on that - schools have enough to think about right now as it is.

Even so, we've had an amazing reaction from everyone we've spoken to, and these range from academics to big public bodies to architects. And everyone both agrees and can't believes that the problem hasn't been noticed before now. Well, everyone except my local council. Who are now going to be quite embarrassed as they are about to be our case study of the town which spent £175k on equipment for boys, and nothing for girls.

We will keep you posted! And if anyone wants to know more, there is a contact form on the website, or DM me here.

I think this is a really good thing OP has done. It's getting everyone thinking about spaces for girls and women.

Particularly important given the events of the last few days.

Hopping onto this thread for later reading as it's so interesting.

It really is.

If anyone wants to start tackling the issue with your local council, we've now put some suggestions about where to start on the website, along with a template letter.

makespaceforgirls.co.uk/lobby-your-council/

Still talking to all sorts of people, including some big councils who want to do better, which is great, and we've had media interest too.

Have you seen this in today's Guardian?

Very much along similar lines. It's wider, but does specifically mention parks.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/16/the-guardian-view-on-urban-insecurity-build-a-feminist-city?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Did you happen to tune in to Women’s Hours yesterday @makespaceforgirls?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t4sr

Thank you, yes have seen both of those and we are talking to Ellie Cosgrave, but please do send anything else my way as we are bound to miss stuff along the way. We're quite over-run at the moment, there are only two of us, and we are very much running to keep up,

@makespaceforgirls

Thank you, yes have seen both of those and we are talking to Ellie Cosgrave, but please do send anything else my way as we are bound to miss stuff along the way. We're quite over-run at the moment, there are only two of us, and we are very much running to keep up,

Great. I'm not sure how much you are on social media but a shout out for volunteers may help you.

@Nilbog. Definitely in the future, but at the moment we are mostly talking to councils and architects and people like the Royal Town Planning Institute, so it's not something we can outsource very well!

We have a planning intern in a few months time, which will be great, and we do want a social media intern in a bit, but at the moment I fear that because it will just generate more work!

Wow, OP, this is fantastic! I can't believe I have reached my (advanced) age and never thought about this topic - but yes, thinking back to my own youth, yes it was always about boys. Can't believe there have been no advancements and still no regard for girls. Surely there must be women working in council planning departments etc these days. I Imagine how marvellous it would be if parents of teenage boys would raise them NOT to be selfish, aggressive, abusive and destructive. Sad to think of all the wasted potential of girls.

@makespaceforgirls

I am involved with the Trails Trust on and Horse Access Campaign UK on Facebook.

It is a constant source of frustration for equestrian groups that horse riders are excluded from spaces or required to pay for expensive annual passes in areas where huge free provision is made for cyclists.

Horse riders are predominantly female. Cyclists predominantly male. Horse riding is a sport which is great for increasing female activity and fitness, well into old age. It is very inclusive of age, sex and disability. Many women report feeling safer accessing the countryside on horseback than on foot or bike.

However large land owners like the National Trust and the Forestry Commission exclude horse riders from entirely suitable trails while improving facility for cyclists neglecting the indirect discrimination.

In addition councils, national parks and Sustrans often neglect the needs of horse riders when planning new trails or upgrading old ones.

Please pop over to the Facebook pages The Trails Trust and Horse Access Campaign UK for more information about this issue. I am sure there would be interest in working with you.

I Imagine how marvellous it would be if parents of teenage boys would raise them NOT to be selfish, aggressive, abusive and destructive.

We do try, ginghamstarfish, we do try. As I’m sure all generations have in the past. Hasn’t worked out yet, has it?

OP I came across this thread from a different thread, fully support your initiative, and in my fantasy world public parks would include some form of music such as stationary djembe drums for all to use, possibly in conjunction with that fabulous stage in the pdf of ideas for spaces.

No idea how that would be regulated for nearby residents and noise levels, and I’m sure your initiative has moved on swiftly since March (actually, I’m guessing you’re still battling your local council—been there, done that), but loads of support here if you want it. Cheers.

Hi OP, if you haven't already, the Women in Property organisation is a fantastic network of women working in every sector of the built environment.

This is so interesting OP! My first thought was that sports facilities aren’t gendered and it isn’t the council’s fault that girls don’t bother to use the facilities and sit around chatting instead. But then I thought about it some more and you are so right! 👏

Boys physically force girls out of the large spaces, by kicking balls at them / sexually harassing them if they stay.

The activities girls (and women!) prefer are looked down on as if football is somehow superior to yoga (when the opposite is obviously the case).

What girls really need in my opinion is single sex facilities, because in mixed sex facilities they will always, always, be bullied and harassed oht of the space. But that’ll never happen in this country. So next best option perhaps is more small space facilities that can be booked perhaps? Ao instead of the whole area being a huge football pitch it could be several smaller spaces for yoga / dance etc which have key entry and can be booked maybe? I don’t know, haven’t thought about it much yet.

The bias starts so young. At my child’s school ALL of the sport is team based and competitive. Actually DS8 was sadly asking why there always has to be a winner and why they can’t just exercise without it always being competitive. He is so right 😢