Andy Devaney
This Girl Can is back, and it’s making noise. Sport England’s groundbreaking campaign has returned with We Like the Way You Move, a celebration of real women moving in real ways — from dancing in the kitchen and pregnancy yoga to boxing, wheelchair rugby, and walking football.
The new TV advert stars thirteen women from across England, all street-cast, showing movement as it actually happens in everyday life. Backed by a pulsing rework of the BodyRockers’ I Like the Way, the film captures joy, grit, and the kind of activity that doesn’t usually make it into glossy adverts.
But the campaign comes with a sting in the tail. A new study reveals just how far the world of sport still has to go in representing women fairly.
Using AI to sift through more than 4,000 images of leisure centres, gyms, pools, parks, and community clubs across England, Sport England found that women — particularly those from underrepresented groups — are still largely absent from the picture.
The findings are stark:
- Despite women being half the population, only 40% of people pictured were female.
- Out of 8,559 women shown, just 117 were Black or South Asian — less than 1.5%, compared to their 11% share of the population.
- Only 14 visibly disabled women appeared nationwide, a minuscule 0.16%.
- Just five visibly pregnant women featured across all images — 0.06%.
- Older women were mostly absent, with only 7% pictured, often confined to lawn bowls.
- Family life was almost invisible, with only 4% of photos showing women active with children.
Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at This Girl Can and Sport England, put it plainly: “A picture is worth a thousand words and our findings are clear: some women remain underrepresented in the physical activity spaces that should welcome them.
And if you don’t see yourself pictured, it’s hard to believe you belong there. When women are left out, they miss out on the physical, mental and social benefits of being active, which deepens health inequalities across the country.
“The sport and physical activity sector has made some great progress on inclusion, but our research shows there is more work to do to reach all women.
From offering women-only sessions to creating more low-impact classes to supporting with childcare on site, we want more physical activity providers to make real changes on the ground so that women have genuine choice in how they get moving.
“Over the last decade, This Girl Can has inspired over four million women to get active, but while inequality persists our work is not done. We’re here for the women left behind. Together we can change the picture of what women getting active looks like.”
Kate Peers, Head of Campaigns (Strategic Lead), added: “This exciting new phase of This Girl Can celebrates women who are finding their own ways to move – on their terms, in their everyday lives – showing that every way of getting active counts. Just 10 minutes of movement boosts your energy, sleep, confidence and mood.
And for the women who have been left out of the sport and physical activity space, starting with 10 minutes of movement is a brilliant way to build confidence.”
One of the women featured, 49-year-old Amanda from East London, knows firsthand how personal movement can be.
“Perimenopause really smacked me in the face,” she said. “Among the physical ailments, the hardest part was not being able to do the community boxing fitness I loved. I could barely walk, strapping up my knees just to get by.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, but over the past two years I’ve managed to build a routine that works for me. I learned that short bursts of weight-bearing exercise – a few minutes a day, even just jumping on the spot – can really help.
“Movement is non-negotiable now. I’ve found joy in moving on my own terms, whether it’s boxing, Pilates, stretching in my garden, or dancing around before bed with my daughter. Exercise feels like I’ve caught a breath of fresh air – it supports my mind, body, and soul.”
The campaign also highlights that only one in ten women from lower-income backgrounds feels they fully belong in sport and physical activity.
For women who are Black, South Asian, Muslim, pregnant, mothers of newborns, or aged 55–74, that sense of exclusion is even deeper.
This Girl Can is inviting women everywhere to rewrite the story by sharing their own ways of getting active with #ThisGirlCan.
Whether it’s a park kickabout, a swim with friends, or a stretch in the living room, every woman’s story adds to the picture.
Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about fitting into someone else’s idea of “sporty.” It’s about moving in the way that works for you — and making sure the world finally sees it.
👉 Find out more at This Girl Can.