World hockey has unveiled its Women in Hockey Empowerment Project, an initiative focused on addressing inequality and promoting body confidence among female athletes.
Launched in partnership with Laureus Sport for Good and supported by a grant from the foundation, it seeks to uplift girls and women in hockey through a new coaching resource called Body Confident Sport, co-developed by Nike and Dove.
Designed to foster self-esteem and body positivity, the Body Confident Sport toolkit is an evidence-based resource created to address a pressing issue in youth sports: research indicates that nearly half of girls aged 11–17 leave sports due to body image concerns.
The new FIH initiative aims to combat this trend by equipping coaches with the tools needed to help female players feel valued and confident, encouraging them to stay in sports.
“Our sport is fully committed to gender equality,” said FIH president Tayyab Ikram, calling on the hockey community to champion body confidence for young girls in sport.
The programme is part of FIH’s broader Empowerment and Engagement Strategy launched in June, which prioritises gender equality and supports the development of girls and women in hockey.
Marijke Fleuren, chair of the FIH Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, emphasised the goal of creating a supportive environment for female athletes, saying, She said: “Hockey has been a pioneer in the fight for gender equality. However, challenges remain. Body confidence among young girls and women is one of them.”
Nike’s Mariette Brethouwer echoed the sentiment, noting the role of coaches in reshaping perceptions. “This programme will shift the focus from how bodies look to what they can do,” she said.
Laureus Sport for Good, which supports over 200 programmes in 40 countries, expressed confidence in the initiative’s potential to help thousands of girls worldwide develop a positive body image and a lifelong love for sports.
