International Women's Day is a worldwide holiday that raises awareness of women's accomplishments and combats inequality in all spheres of society. The subject for 2022 is "Breaking the Bias"; in honour of this theme, we chatted with three outstanding fitness industry women who have helped women advance in our industry by dismantling misconceptions, roadblocks, and prejudices. What has changed for women's fitness in the last ten years, then? International-womens-day-2 How did the fitness sector for women look like ten years ago? The role of women in the fitness industry, according to Saly Marone, an international training specialist at Basic-Fit, "has changed over the last 10 years in a more obvious way." We hold a variety of positions and are considerably more noticeable in the clubs.

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There’s another difference in play today, with positions in the sector taken up through women supporting women. Jen continues: “Because the managing director of Sports Clubs of Canada and Bally Total Fitness Canada of the Canadian market was a woman – Paula Comfort – many more women stepped into management positions. I had the wonderful opportunity of being one of those women placed in leadership positions and watching the gender balance shift.”

What has changed is that we are more aware of the improvements that we need to make to be more inclusive in our sector,” explains Rachel Young, director of business development at Myzone EMEA.

“Conversations are starting, and there is an appetite to change. However, in all honesty, we need more action and less talk.” Rachel recognises the growth of the industry but we must keep highlighting how far it still has to go. She continues: “We just need to look around the office, the gym floor and the board room and see that we are still in a very white male dominant sector.”

What are you doing to support women in your business, or what can you do to encourage others to join you in creating an environment of positivity and performance? Rachel, Jennifer, and Saly give their insights into what needs to be done today and in the future to help keep the women's equality initiative moving here. Together we can keep the upward trend of encouraging more business leaders to stay fair, through remembering that better never stops. We’re stronger together.

Help roadmap future gender equality initiatives by taking part in Global Alliance and WIFA’s Gender Diversity in the Fitness Sector Survey.

A free, six-month WIFA Membership - if you’re a female in the sector; connect, network, grow, goal-get, support and be supported by WIFA’s global community. You can redeem this gift until March 15, 2022.