Canadian Women & Sport

Formally launched in 1981, Canadian Women & Sport was founded to advocate for progressive change within Canada’s sport system. Its goal was to see the enhanced presence of girls and women at all levels and in all areas – as athletes, participants, leaders, officials, coaches and trainers.

The founders, many of whom remain active advocates today, were leaders in national, provincial and community sport and physical activity groups. Within two years, CAAWS was working to meet several defined objectives:

• To make funds available for women’s sport and recreation programs and to eliminate discriminatory cutbacks.
• To improve the status of girls and women in sport by lobbying legislators and private sector decision-makers.
• To see that funds were not reallocated to “more important women’s issues”.
• To have facilities and equipment available for women’s programs.
• To establish sport as an area of concern to the women’s movement and bring women in sport into the mainstream of the movement.
• To develop information, publications, and resources as effective vehicles for the promotion of girls and women and sport.