Women’s Squash Week (17-24th September) is an international campaign that aims to celebrate and raise the profile of female squash.
PSA Foundation are proud to champion this key awareness week, and a core part of our work is empowering women and girls to participate in squash.
We will be showcasing and highlighting a number of organisations we work with, as well as extraordinary stories of women and girls in Squash.
What other national bodies are doing during this week
England Squash’s “Rally Together” plays a key role in encouraging and promoting women’s participation in Squash at all levels.
While a lot of progress has been made for women and girls in sport, bias still exists, making it difficult for female players and coaches to succeed.
In order to drive change, we need male allies to be part of the conversation too, who consider women’s lived experiences and respect that it’s not just a woman’s responsibility to change the environment that creates barriers.
Jo Rowbottom, Head of Partnerships and Communities at England Squash, said:
“Women’s Squash Week always has a real energy and excitement about it as clubs and venues host events that celebrate female squash and inspire more women and girls to get involved.”
“Alongside these events we’re calling on the squash community to be an ally for females in squash.”
“By ‘Rallying Together’ we can ensure we create environments that are open and welcoming for more women and girls and create more opportunities for women and girls to thrive in squash.”
So what can you do as a club?
- Stage a female-only session during Women’s Squash Week to help encourage more women and girls to play again or try squash for the first time.
- Give a female coach the opportunity to design and run this session.
- If you don’t already, share more stories and imagery of female players at your club across your social media channels – this will help empower women and girls to join your taster session.
- Educate yourself on the issues your target audience face when it comes to participating in sport. Here is a great blog to get you started.
On the last day of Women’s Squash Week, US Squash will be hosting the inaugural Women’s and Girls Summit at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.
The event will bring a diverse group of players, coaches, leaders and parents together from around the country.
Featuring workshops, seminars and on-court sessions, the summit will share knowledge and best practices for healthy, sustained engagement in squash for girls.
Narelle Krizek, Assistant Director at US Squash, said:
“US Squash and I are really looking forward to this year’s Women’s Squash Week, getting women from the United States and around the world back on court after some tough times with Covid.
“I’m looking forward to collaborating with the PSA Foundation, England Squash and other governing bodies to engage women of all levels and reignite their squash passion.”
You can read more about this summit here.
How to get involved
We look forward to highlighting the amazing achievements of women in our sport as well as sharing all of the exciting events happening within this week.
We want clubs across the globe to get involved- you can do so by submitting your event on our global map.
Join in the conversation by using the hashtags #WomensSquashWeek #SquashTheGap
You can also download the Womens Squash Week logo to use here.
