Female participation should be the focus of any community-based presentation for a new training or competition facility.

Gender makes a difference. There remains a huge gender gap in sport participation: men participate in sport much more than women; 36% of men and only 21% of women participate in sport. (See Sport Participation in Canada, 2005)

Participation is highly concentrated in a few sports. Out of nearly 100 sports played in Canada, participation is highly concentrated in about 20 sports. Swimming is the 3rd most popular sport in Canada. For men the primary sports are ice hockey, golf, basketball and soccer. But for women there is a very different participation pattern – swimming is the female sport of choice followed by golf, soccer and volleyball. The reported participation numbers in swimming do not include the thousands that participate in canoeing, kayaking lifesaving, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and rowing which collectively are also female dominant. (See Sport Participation in Canada, 2005)

Additional aquatic training and competition facilities will allow women to narrow the participation gender gap. Swimming pools are the female hockey arena. To address the gender imbalance, municipalities need to address the facility imbalance between swimming pools and arenas.

The following points are noted in The Contribution of Sports to Gender Equity and Women's Empowerment by Allison Huggins and Shirley Randell which was first presented at the International Conference on Gender Equity on Sports for Social Change, Kigali (2007).

• Women face many barriers to participating in sport which prevents them from reaping the many benefits that can be gained from playing sports. Women encounter discrimination and stereotyping. The sporting world epitomizes many of the gender stereotypes which persist around the world today and has proved to be highly resistant to meaningful gender reform. By creating opportunities for women and girls to engage in sport, communities empower women and girls on an individual level, by promoting self-confidence, leadership and a sense of achievement. They also challenge existing gender norms and roles within society. Sport provides a space in which women can demonstrate to their communities what they are capable of achieving. Promoting girl's and women's sport is an important tool in gender equity and women's empowerment.
• Throughout the 1900s there was considerable discrimination between men's and women's sport in terms of facility access. Boys own the playground space and the facilities.
• Sport personalities endorse a variety of products in this globalized world and are among the most recognized celebrities worldwide. Children wear T-shirts depicting sport stars. The stars serve as role models and idols for children around the world. Yet female sport figures were noticeably absent. As a result, girls have less exposure to female role models. Consequently, they are less likely to benefit from the positive example that these figures can serve.
• As women attempt to engage in sports they encounter different forms of resistance imposed upon them by society. Subtle forms of discrimination exist. Men's sports are given preferential access to sport facilities. Communities are more willing to build a hockey arena than a swimming pool.
  Despite advances in gender equity and the women's empowerment, women continue to lag behind men in opportunities and resources. Thanks to the advocacy work of committed individuals, the policies of sport organizations and governments have begun to change. The declarations which have emerged from the world conferences call on all governments, sporting organizations and individuals to promote opportunities for women and girls to participate sport. This includes the Montréal Communiqué, which calls for the development of a sustainable infrastructure on which to build women's sports opportunities
• By participating in sports, girls can derive many of the benefits long reserved for boys. Just 4 hours of physical activity a week has been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases such as breast cancer and heart disease. Moreover, participation in sport promotes body consciousness, which is been shown to reduce rates of teen pregnancy. It is recognized that there is a strong connection between participation in sport with academic success. Girls can benefit from the encouragement and leadership of a coach, who can serve as an important role model. Opportunities for leadership in sport arise early – becoming a team captain, going on to become coaches and administrators.
• Though discrimination persists, and acts as a deterrent to girl's participation in sport, the value of challenging these norms has become increasingly recognized by government bodies and communities.