– To expose the ridiculous reality women runners face, the majority of respondents (69%) have taken extra precautions to feel safe, from wearing loose clothing to running with someone they think is them can protect.
– “Ridiculous Run” explores how ridiculous running must be for women to feel safe and calls on the community to help change the current reality.
– With adidas Runners’ ongoing With “Women We Run” initiative and long-term partnership with White Ribbon, adidas is focused on educating men and boys to find allies for change.
Herzogenaurach, Germany, March 10, 2023 – adidas today unveils new research revealing the safety issues many women face when running and brings the findings to life through Ridiculous Run, calling for male education and alliances to drive change .
adidas surveyed 9,000 runners in nine countries to learn about men’s and women’s experiences and perceptions of running safety and the ongoing work of the With Women We Run by adidas Runners brand and partnership with to support the leading charity White Ribbon, which focuses on fighting harassment and protecting women on the run.
92% of women said they were concerned for their safety, with half [51%] fearing physical assault compared to 28% of men, showing the magnitude of the problem. More than a third (38%) of women have experienced physical or verbal harassment, and of these women, more than half (53%) have received unwanted attention (56%), sexist comments, or unwanted sexual attention (55%). , or follow-up (50%).
Of those harassed, women suffered significantly more than men from psychological and physical side effects, resulting in more than half of the women (53%) experiencing anxiety, compared to more than a third of 38% of men. The data also shows that (46%) women reported losing interest in running compared to 1 in 3 (33%) men, and 40% of women reported an increased sense of vulnerability compared to 30% of Men.
The Ridiculous Run
The studies demonstrates the want for extrade in each attitudes and motion in terms of ladies’s protection while running – locating that even as 62% of fellows realise the difficulty, simplest 18% accept as true with the duty lies maximum with guys to assist ladies sense more secure while running. That’s why adidas created The Ridiculous Run, to power extra consciousness of the realities ladies face each time they cross for a run, and to inspire guys to train themselves on the difficulty and study greater approximately allyship. From carrying one headphone, to unfastened clothing, fellow runners, bikers and skaters in an all-out protecting crew, the movie explores how ridiculous a run ought to turn out to be for ladies to sense safe, and calls at the network to assist extrade the present day reality.
Supporting change from a grassroots level
The study and The Ridiculous Run were developed as part of adidas’ commitment to promoting equality in sport – a commitment to promoting inclusion in sport by providing access, equality and safety to marginalized communities. This latest initiative builds on adidas’ ongoing partnership with White Ribbon, a leading charity dedicated to preventing violence against women and girls through educating men and boys.
The film encourages viewers to learn more, with a 2022 adidas Allied Handbook co-produced with White Ribbon and translated into six languages to educate men on the topic and provide tools to combat harassment and empower women when protect running. To date, over 250 coaches and captains from the global adidas Runners community have been trained along with the toolkit and have been named ambassadors for the mission of creating a safer environment for women runners.
“Together with adidas we can move one step closer to ending all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, once and for all. We want all men to take action using the tools we have provided, wherever they are in the world to make a real difference to violence against women. Running is for everyone, therefore we’re committed to make sure everyone feels safer when pursuing a sport they enjoy,” says Humberto Carolo, Executive Director of White Ribbon, Canada.
Alongside these activities, adidas continues its long-term adidas Runners “With the Women We Run” initiative, which aims to do its part to end harassment and all forms of violence against women in order to transform running culture. We now live in 49 countries and 72 communities, and our goal is to use the power of alliances to create lasting change at the grassroots level and create safe spaces for runners.
To support these ongoing initiatives, the adidas Running app includes safety-focused features, such as the ability to automatically share runners’ current location with select followers to help them track their run, as well as educational content and ally tips. To date, over 120,000 signatures under the oath “I vow never to commit, condone or keep silent about violence against women” in the adidas running app.
“We believe sport should be equal, and safety is essential to creating that reality. We know from our communities, and our research, that safety is the most discussed topic when it comes to women and running – and unfortunately women continue to be made responsible for protecting themselves.
“Addressing this issue is a marathon, not a sprint and our campaign will not solve this overnight, but if we can encourage more men to understand their role as allies, we can create progress and hopefully, change.” says Sina Neubrandt, adidas Women, Global Communications Director.
To learn more about the campaign and how to become an ally or find a local With Women We Run by adidas Runners community follow links below:
With Women We Run (link)
Education and Allyship tools (link)