Girls team up for fun and health
The Federal Government is encouraging young girls across the country to make their move and become more active after alarming research found that Australian girls don’t do enough physical exercise. But will this spirited campaign be enough to get the average Victorian teenager off their couch?
By EMILY BURKHARDT
The Federal Government is emboldening girls to trade the couch and slippers for sweat and sneakers in its latest initiative, which launched earlier this year.
Inspired by Sports England’s successful This Girl Can movement, the Girls Make Your Move campaign aims to encourage young women to make engaging in physical activity more of a priority in their busy lives – something to enjoy, not endure.
The campaign consists primarily of a series of TV ads with girls from all different cultures engaging in a variety of different sports and activities. The impressive visuals, also available on mobile phones, highlight local events across Victoria and Australia.
Pro surfer Felicity Palmateer and the national netball team the Australian Diamonds have headlined the activities, encouraging girls to participate within their local community. The push for a larger social media profile online is also helping girls to connect, share and inspire each other.
Campaign incentives saw Girls Make Your Move amass over 2000 followers on Instagram in its first week.
Incorporating catchy and empowering hashtags like #TheCouchCanWait and #IKickButtToo into the TV ad has created positive threads and conversations about being active.
Girls Make Your Move comes as an immediate response to alarming results in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Health Survey 2014-15.
The survey showed the proportion of girls aged 15-17 years who reported no or a low exercise in 2014-15 level was at 55.9 per cent.
Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said the campaign would break down the barriers of self-consciousness and puberty blues, and help girls build up their physical awareness while having fun with their friends.
Adolescent health is rapidly becoming a more prominent and pressing issue, and girls have praised the Federal Government for their determination to fix the problem.
This campaign has received a largely positive review from its viewers. Alysha Yacono, a 16-year-old student from Altona, said it was a great initiative that showed “people are now wanting to help address this issue”.
Further research by the government found girls would identify better with positive messages about exercise and being active while having fun, rather than previous dark serious concepts including health risks associated with being inactive.
Greer Butcher, 16, from Point Cook, applauded the campaign’s emphasis on making girls feel good about themselves, celebrating empowerment through exercise and getting them to be more active.
But this kind of empowerment has ignited a competitive streak in its viewers. Alice Pilditch 14, from Altona said the campaign inspired girls to not only go out and enjoy playing sports regardless of their skill level but also proved girls are just as athletic and active as boys.
While the clock is still ticking on whether this campaign will produce concrete changes to female sporting culture in young people, girls agree this initiative is a step in the right direction.
Emily Jinu, 14, from Tarneit, agreed with Federal Government sentiment that it would be wonderful to see more girls putting themselves out there and making physical activity a bigger part of their lives.
It is now up to the girls of Australia to team up and make their own moves to set a new active standard in the community.
