The British Mountain Club (=equivalent to German Alpine Club DAV) reports that »Mountaineering is among the sports showing an increase in participation, according to the latest figures published by Sport England in its annual survey of the nation’s sporting habits.«

They say that in England, according to the “Active People Survey“, 93,000 people go mountaineering on a weekly basis. Also disabled people show an increase in mountaineering activity. Remarkably about that is a BMC Paraclimbing series.

However, numbers of women in mountaineering declined. And the gender gap in sports activities is reported to remain big.

But regarding the latter, industry, sports lobbies and the state are not passive. Sport England (which is probably an alloy of the three) have set up a campaign to do something about the declining numbers of women in sports. It’s called “This Girl Can” and with images of shaking fat pads and slogans like “I jiggle, therefore I am” aims on encouraging (more) women to do sports.

Encourage women to do sports? Don’t they do so already? Should they, at all? Or do they even have to?

And the most important question: WHY???

This Girl Can is here to inspire women to
wiggle, jiggle, move and prove that judgement
is a barrier that can be overcome.

Meet the stars of our campaign
who are doing what they do,
and letting nothing (not even sweat)
stand in their way.

I am still wondering if I should take this serious while I already hear me saying: Oh. My. God.

But let’s think about it for a second. It’s about judgment…

No, it seems I can’t think any longer. Immediately more questions raise inside me. I am also wondering: When will finally the long-desired stately campagin that encourages seniors to engage more in ceramics follow? And a campaign that rewards youngsters who start acting, a stately campaign to encourage coal mine workers to learn playing wind instruments, high-school teachers to occupy themselves more with whole-grain flours and disabled people to go to contemporary art museums and the one that gives incentives to bloggers to include more comparising literature analysis into their articles. And most importantly, a campaign that helps people quitting their sports, by basically telling them: »You’re okay – even when you don’t exercise!« and which of course could not only rely on fancy videos but necessarily would have to include psychological support?

This is soooooo…. let me just think of a word…..

It’s not that I am against empowerment of women. The Opposite! But why can’t girls – no, why can’t people – decide on their own, whether they want to do sports or not? Do they really have to be pushed to doing sports?

Also check out: “This Girl Can Climb”

…..stupid.