The FIAS (Fostering Inclusive Action Sports) Framework
The FIAS Framework is designed to tackle persistent gender inequality in mountain biking (MTB) through cultural transformation. It is designed to underpin the strategic focus of key policy organisations in mountain biking. A set of resources are available to help organisations explore, through co-creation, what the FIAS Framework means for them.
Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration Principles:
- Equity and Equality in Society and Sport
- Developing Participation
- Leadership in Sport
- Education, Training and Development
- Resources
Target audiences:
- Regional, national and international sports organisations
- Regional, national and international governing bodies
Background:
The framework is underpinned by rigorous qualitative research from the University of Bristol with women mountain bikers, women leisure road and gravel cyclists, teenage girls who do not mountain bike, cycling industry marketing and media professionals, and women-only and women-led mountain biking community leaders.
The Framework was co-created with an expert steering group of women working in action sports leadership and community development, and in iteration with our Consortium of partners: British Cycling, Forestry England, International Mountain Bike Association, Scottish Cycling and Beicio Cymru.
Mountain biking is part of the ‘action sports’ field (also called lifestyle sports and adventure sports), which evolved to challenge mainstream, competitive sports. Action sports characteristically have a participatory rather than competitive ideology, and value creative, aesthetic elements, a connection to nature and non-aggression. Yet, despite their potential to foster more inclusive spaces than mainstream sports, action sports can be exclusive, tend to be male-dominated and contribute to the masculine culture of sport as much as mainstream sport does.
Summary:
The four elements of the framework are: building community; integration of women in MTB; diversifying MTB leadership; transforming MTB cultural representation.
- Building strong, sustainable and growing communities of women+ mountain bikers is at the heart of the FIAS Framework. However, continued cultural transformation also requires strategic programmes across three pillars that:
- Foster integration of women+ into MTB culture, e.g. through participation in events, communities and the workforce.
- Support women+ into positions of leadership in MTB, e.g. in industry, advocacy and policy;
- Continue to support the transformation of cultural representation of MTB, e.g. through media and marketing.
The framework can be read ‘at a glance’ or in full.
View and download the FIAS Framework at the University of Bristol
