Trinity Women in Sport campaign shortlisted for international gender equality award

Posted on: 25 June 2025

Trinity's "Women in Sport" campaign has been shortlisted for the 9th FISU Gender Equality Awards.

 The Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) Gender Equality Project award recognises outstanding projects that contribute to fostering gender equality and creating more inclusive environments within university sports worldwide.  

The winning project will be awarded a €5,000 grant and will be announced during FISU’s General Assembly on 14 July in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Launched in 2024, Trinity's "Women in Sport" campaign is a university-wide initiative aimed at promoting gender equality across all levels of sport at Trinity College Dublin.  The campaign is in line with Trinity Sport's "Realising Potential: A Strategy for Sport at Trinity 2022 – 2026" and Sport Ireland’s "Women in Sport".  The project reaffirms Trinity College Dublin’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive, empowering, and diverse sports environment where women’s achievements are recognised, their participation is encouraged, and their leadership is cultivated.  The campaign focuses on four strategic pillars: Leadership & Governance, Active Participation, Visibility, and Coaching & Officiating.

Lisa Cafferky, Student Sport Pathway Manager at Trinity Sport, said: "Being shortlisted for the FISU Gender Equality Awards is an incredible honour and a proud moment for everyone involved in the Trinity "Women in Sport" campaign.  This recognition reflects the collective effort of our staff, students and coaches, and the genuine progress we’ve made in creating a more inclusive sporting environment.  What makes this especially meaningful is the acknowledgement of our work not only in gender equality but also in sustainability and the potential for international replication.  We look forward to continuing our work to inspire change, break down barriers and create opportunities for female students."

The campaign has successfully completed one full annual cycle, building on the successes of the first year including Trinity ‘Women in Sport’ week introduced in 2024 and has made significant achievements around the four core pillars outlined below.

Leadership & Governance:  

• The Trinity Sport Union Executive now has 52% female representation across its 21 members, ensuring that women have a strong voice in decision-making and governance within university sport. This represents an increase from 38% before the project commenced

Active Participation:  

• Female membership in Trinity’s sports clubs now stands at 55%, highlighting a thriving and engaged female sports community. 
• Female participation in social sport programmes has surged by an impressive 71% in 2024, demonstrating a growing interest and commitment to inclusive sporting initiatives. 
• Trinity Sport Centre proudly supports 8,000 female members.   

Coaching & Officiating:  

• The number of female activators delivering social sport activities has grown from 2 to 11 in 2024 - a 450% increase, empowering more women to take leadership roles in sport. 
• Eight female students have successfully received accreditation through the Student Sport Ireland (SSI) Women’s Student Coaching Academy.

Visibility & Media Coverage: 

• Coverage of women’s sport on the Trinity Sport website has increased by 12% in 2024, ensuring greater representation and recognition of female athletes.
• Trinity Sport social media channels have seen a 27% rise in women’s sport content, bringing more awareness and engagement to female-led sporting achievements.

  The winners will be announced during next FISU’s General Assembly, on 14 July in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The project reaffirms Trinity College Dublin’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive, empowering, and diverse sports environment where women’s achievements are recognised, their participation is encouraged, and their leadership is cultivated.  The campaign focuses on four strategic pillars: Leadership & Governance, Active Participation, Visibility, and Coaching & Officiating.

Lisa Cafferky, Student Sport Pathway Manager at Trinity Sport, said: "Being shortlisted for the FISU Gender Equality Awards is an incredible honour and a proud moment for everyone involved in the Trinity "Women in Sport" campaign.  This recognition reflects the collective effort of our staff, students and coaches, and the genuine progress we’ve made in creating a more inclusive sporting environment.  What makes this especially meaningful is the acknowledgement of our work not only in gender equality but also in sustainability and the potential for international replication.  We look forward to continuing our work to inspire change, break down barriers and create opportunities for female students."

The campaign has completed one full year cycle, building on the successes of the first year including Trinity ‘Women in Sport’ week introduced in 2024.

It has made significant achievements around the four core pillars outlined below.

Leadership & Governance:  

• The Trinity Sport Union Executive now has 52% female representation across its 21 members, ensuring that women have a strong voice in decision-making and governance within university sport. This represents an increase from 38% before the project commenced

Active Participation:  

• Female membership in Trinity’s sports clubs now stands at 55%, highlighting a thriving and engaged female sports community. 
• Female participation in social sport programmes has surged by an impressive 71% in 2024, demonstrating a growing interest and commitment to inclusive sporting initiatives. 
• Trinity Sport Centre proudly supports 8,000 female members.   

Coaching & Officiating:  

• The number of female activators delivering social sport activities has grown from 2 to 11 in 2024 - a 450% increase, empowering more women to take leadership roles in sport. 
• Eight female students have successfully received accreditation through the Student Sport Ireland (SSI) Women’s Student Coaching Academy.

Visibility & Media Coverage: 

• Coverage of women’s sport on the Trinity Sport website has increased by 12% in 2024, ensuring greater representation and recognition of female athletes.
• Trinity Sport social media channels have seen a 27% rise in women’s sport content, bringing more awareness and engagement to female-led sporting achievements.

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