Speakers
Description
Throughout the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased rates of gender-based violence (GBV) that have disproportionately impacted the lives of women, girls, and gender diverse people in Canada (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2022; Illingworth & Ferrara, 2020). A novel effort to support survivors and victims of GBV has been the use of trauma- and violence-informed physical activity (TVIPA) (Darroch et al., in press; van Ingen, 2021). The objective of this study was to use feminist participatory action research (FPAR, Reid & Frisby, 2008) to explore how the use of TVIPA in SFD programs at MLSE LaunchPad – the largest SFD organization in Toronto – can support women, girls, and gender diverse people. Key features of MLSE LaunchPad’s programs that seemed to align with the tenets of trauma- and violence-informed physical activity included: 1) creating emotionally and physically safe environments; and 2) providing a capacity-building and strengths-based approach (Darroch et al., 2022; Darroch et al., in press). However, SFD programs that build trauma and violence awareness are lacking. Additionally, findings suggest SFD programs are embedded in a heteronormative sporting structure wherein cisgender and heterosexual identities were privileged. Although gender inclusivity was discussed by SFD participants, several interviewees positioned gender as binary and had little understanding of gender-diverse identities. Further research that critically explores TVIPA in the SFD field is needed to examine how trauma-informed SFD programs contribute to—and/or hinder—opportunities for women, girls, and gender diverse people.
