Sport Ireland launches Poster Pack to tackle taboo of periods and reduce number of girls dropping out of sport

Sport Ireland is officially launching its Period Positive Poster Pack.

At Sport Ireland one of our key objectives is to reduce the number of girls dropping out of sport. Through consultation with teenage girls and the Her Moves campaign, menstruation has been identified as a key challenge of female puberty and can be a barrier to participation in sport.

The seven posters, developed in collaboration with teenage girls, aim to support and educate everyone around the menstrual cycle and sport.

Nora Stapleton, Director of Strategic NGB Programmes with Sport Ireland, said: “It’s important to create the conversation on menstruation in sport. These posters raise awareness and educate athletes, coaches, and parents on supporting teen girls around their menstrual cycle and sport. Through these, and other resources on the hermoves.ie hub, we aim to enhance the environment in which the girls are training and retain more girls in sport and physical activity. That’s something we can all get behind.”

Sport Ireland is helping to make sure the posters are being put up in places where teenage girls participate in sport and physical activity – everywhere from clubs to schools to community centres to leisure centres.

Over the past four years, Sport Ireland has been focusing on implementing objectives and actions from its Policy on Women in Sport.

Student Michaela Gillooly, who helped create the posters, said: "I think the Her Moves campaign is doing incredible work for girls in sport right now, their period resources on their hub are easily accessible and comforting for those who may not be able to start the conversation at home.

“The posters are something I'm even constantly referring to when I'm coaching my underage team or even for myself.

“I'm so glad to see there is a safe site for girls where they can learn about their busy body without that feeling of embarrassment,” added Michaela, who is a student of Glenamaddy Community School in Galway and recently won the All-Ireland STEM Outreach award at SciFest.

Period Positive Posters

Seven educational posters have been developed to address the challenges of the menstrual cycle in sport. Five are for girls, encouraging cycle tracking and movement solutions, while two are for adults, providing tips on creating period-positive environments.

To launch the posters, Sport Ireland has provided almost 3,000 complimentary poster packs to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), along with 65 schools. The posters will be displayed across club facilities, schools and community centres to normalise the conversation on periods in sport and show their support to teenage girls.

You can download the posters for your school, club or centre for free.

Bethany Carson, Women in Sport Manager, Sport Ireland, said: “Periods shouldn’t be a barrier to participating in sport. These posters help educate and provide solutions to athletes, coaches, parents and teachers regarding menstruation and sport.

“I’d encourage all clubs and schools to display the ‘Checklist’ poster, it can help create period positive environments. We’ve had brilliant engagement from the NGBs and LSPs, which shows in the distribution numbers.”

Women in Sport Week

Women in Sport Week celebrates women’s contributions to sports, highlights related initiatives by Sport Ireland and our partners, and showcases initiatives funded by the Women in Sport Programme, all to advance our vision of equal opportunity and lifelong involvement in sports for women. ach day is organised along a different theme and there are a number of events taking place to mark the week.

Wednesday, March 5th - Her Moves

Webinar: Her Moves - Supporting Teenage Girls in Sport. Designed for teenage girls, but equally suitable for coaches, teachers and parents, this webinar will discuss different topics that girls experience in their relationship with sport, including menstruation, body image, and sports bras. Schools can register here (11am-12pm); You can register for the later webinar here (7.30-8.30pm) here.

Thursday, March 6th - Officiating

Webinar: Breaking Barriers - Women in Officiating. A look at some of the challenges, achievements, and future opportunities for women officiating in sport. It will feature invaluable guidance on how to get started in officiating. 8-9pm. Register here.

Friday March 7th - Leadership & Governance

Accelerate Action event on the Sport Ireland Campus. Attended by 100 Women in Sport leads, leadership course participants and sector leaders this will feature keynote speakers and a networking lunch. Sport Ireland will sign the women in sport Brighton plus Helsinki declaration at this event.

Saturday March 8th - International Women’s Day

Sport Ireland and parkrun Ireland are marking International Women’s Day during Women in Sport Week by encouraging women and girls to head to their local parkrun on Saturday March 8th to walk, jog, run or volunteer.

Sunday March 9th - Active Participation

This is a day for women to mark Women in Sport Week by getting active in whatever way they want. For ideas about ways to be active in your area check out Get Ireland Active, Ireland’s most comprehensive activity, sport and recreation website.