Sexism and inequalities in sport

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 2 May 2023 Closed: 28 May 2024 Parliament page
Following earlier sessions on football, timed to coincide with the 2022 men’s World Cup, the Women and Equalities Committee is examining sexism and inequality in sport more widely. A key focus will be on how girls’ and women’s health and physiology – body image, injuries and sports-related illnesses, periods, pregnancy … Read more
12 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
17 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 25 events
17 May
2024
Report published
24 Apr
2024
Correspondence
21 Mar
2024
Correspondence
5 Mar
2024
Report published
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
13 Dec
2023
Correspondence
6 Dec
2023
Correspondence
29 Nov
2023
Correspondence
29 Nov
2023
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
22 Nov 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Dame Katherine Grainger DBE · UK Sport Dr Craig Ranson · UK Sports Institute Emily Handyside · UK Coaching Jeanette Bain-Burnett · Sport England
6 Sep 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Jo Ward · Lawn Tennis Association Kelly Gordon · England Netball Nick Pink · England Hockey
14 Jun 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Baz Moffat · The Well HQ Dr Louise Newson · The Menopause Charity Eboni Usoro-Brown Janet Birkmyre Kate Seary · Kyniska Advocacy Lisa West · Women in Sport Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Shaunagh Brown
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Health barriers for girls and women in sport HC 130 5 Mar 2024 19 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
19 results
1 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Existing programmes fail to address girls' health barriers or reverse declining PE enjoyment.
Girls face a number of distinctive health and physiology-related barriers to participation in, and enjoyment of, sport and physical activity, from early years to post-puberty. Existing programmes and interventions from the Government and other bodies, while welcome, do not yet … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepted the recommendation, committing to reviewing and releasing updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, and conducting further work including a call for evidence to review PE delivery, but did not commit to setting specific age-group targets.
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2 Conclusion Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Inadequate and late delivery of mandatory menstrual cycle education impacts girls' PE participation.
Key anxieties for girls include concerns around periods, yet education on the menstrual cycle, despite being mandatory, is only being delivered in half of schools. It is shocking that around 50% of schools are disregarding a vital, and mandatory, element … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation but deflected by responding solely on the importance of offering a wide choice of PE kit and sports bras for girls, including elite athletes, without addressing the core issue of inadequate menstrual cycle education.
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3 Recommendation Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Urgently review and improve girls' health and menstrual cycle education quality and timeliness.
The Department for Education must urgently review the quality and timeliness of education on girls’ health and physiology, including the effects of puberty, the menstrual cycle, and periods in the context of PE and school sport. Whether part of PE … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepted the recommendation but deflected by focusing on existing physical activity campaigns, funding for PE and sport facilities, and the National Physical Activity Taskforce, without addressing the specific call to review and improve the quality and timeliness of girls' health and physiology education or teacher training.
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4 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Review school PE kit guidance to ensure widest choice for girls, including sports bras.
The evidence on girls’ anxieties around PE kit is overwhelming. We recommend the Department for Education and National Physical Activity Taskforce review guidance for schools on school PE kit, with the aim of ensuring all schools permit the widest possible … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation but provided a vague commitment, describing the general activities of the National Physical Activity Taskforce and the Board of Women's Sport, without outlining specific actions or timelines for reviewing PE kit guidance for schools to ensure wider choice for girls or advice on sports bras.
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5 Recommendation Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Launch "This Girl Can" campaign for parents and update School Sport Action Plan targets.
We recommend Sport England launch a new strand of the “This Girl Can” campaign aimed at parents, tackling early years gender stereotypes around physical activity and sport. This should include a specific focus on the positive role fathers can play … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation but states decisions on Sport England's priorities are independent. While it will focus the next phase of 'This Girl Can' on women aged 50 and over, this differs from the recommended focus on parents and early years, and it does not commit to rolling out 'Studio You' or updating the DfE action plan.
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Require Minister for Women officials to attend National Physical Activity Taskforce to address girls' distinct needs.
Given the very distinctive issues for girls, and to ensure their needs are not overlooked, we recommend the Minister for Women and Equality Hub officials attend the National Physical Activity Taskforce, alongside organisations with data and expertise in this area, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, stating it has already established the National Physical Activity Taskforce (NPAT) and the Board of Women’s Sport, and regularly meets with relevant organisations to address women's and girls' activity barriers.
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7 Conclusion Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Government's 'Get Active' strategy remains inadequate for addressing midlife women's health barriers.
Women in midlife face specific health-related barriers to participation, including but not limited to the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. These occur after many have experienced barriers at earlier life stages, including in early years and at school during puberty. … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation to rectify strategy shortcomings but believes it can be achieved through the existing National Physical Activity Taskforce and the newly established Board of Women’s Sport, rather than committing to specific updates or rectifications of its 'Get Active' strategy itself.
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8 Recommendation Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Prioritise another 'This Girl Can' campaign phase focused on inspiring women in midlife.
We recommend Sport England prioritise another phase of the “This Girl Can” campaign focused on women in midlife, showing real life examples of women in the 40- to 60-year-old age group participating in a wide range of sports and physical … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation but describes unrelated ongoing work by Sport England and other bodies focused on women in coaching and instructor training, not on launching a new phase of 'This Girl Can' specifically for women in midlife as recommended.
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9 Recommendation Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Update DCMS 'Get Active' strategy with tailored interventions and targets for midlife women.
We recommend the DCMS update its “Get Active” strategy for the future of sport and physical activity in relation to women in midlife. It should work with organisations including Women in Sport and The Well HQ to include an analysis … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation to update its 'Get Active' strategy for women in midlife but provides a response entirely unrelated, detailing Sport England's actions regarding Swim England's safeguarding and regulatory improvements.
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Slow response to women's ACL injuries indicates systemic gender inequality in sports research.
There has been a slow and disparate response to disproportionately high rates of ACL injury in women’s football. We have no doubt that a health issue of similar magnitude affecting elite male footballers would have received a faster, more thorough, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the conclusion, stating it intends to work with the sector on integrity challenges, has run a call for evidence on how issues are dealt with, and will set out the results and next steps 'in due course'.
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11 Conclusion Deferred
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Government's current response to sportswomen's health issues lacks a coordinated cross-sector approach.
While there are positive signs of change in the sports and exercise research sector, a more concerted and coordinated, cross-sector approach is required to achieve equality of attention to health and physiology-related issues affecting sportswomen, including those arising from kit … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation but largely responds by detailing employment rights, maternity leave, and pay for sportswomen, which is unrelated to the call for a more coordinated cross-sector approach for health, physiology, and kit issues.
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Gender inequality causes limited progress and availability of female-specific sports kit and equipment.
It is symptomatic of gender inequality and sexism in the sports sector that the first football boot in the world designed around female feet came to the market less than four years ago. Since then, limited progress has been made … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the implicit recommendation, stating that the National Physical Activity Taskforce and the Board of Women’s Sport will address issues regarding female-specific kit, and that this will form part of future discussions.
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Establish a taskforce to develop strategy addressing sportswomen's health, kit, and research representation.
We recommend the DCMS and DfE establish a taskforce, including UK Sport, the UK Sports Institute, women’s health and fitness experts including The Well HQ, sport and exercise research institutes, and the UK divisions of leading sportswear and sporting goods … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, stating it will use the existing National Physical Activity Taskforce and the recently established Board of Women’s Sport to tackle sportswomen's health and physiology, noting that suitable kit design will be part of future discussions.
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14 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Inconsistent knowledge and support for sportswomen's health needs among coaches and teams.
The level of knowledge and support for sportswomen’s health needs varies greatly between individual coaches and coaching teams. There are also wide variations in the adequacy of support across different sports. The national governing bodies we heard from were each … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, detailing that Sport England is establishing a Women in Coaching Taskforce to address barriers, developing a "This Girl Can" inspired training course for instructors, and undertaking a £100,000 action learning project to improve support for sportswomen's health.
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15 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Convene a working group to develop strategy for educating coaches in female health.
We recommend that UK Sport, Sport England, UK Coaching, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity and the national governing bodies Health barriers for girls and women in sport 41 come together to convene a female … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, detailing Sport England's work with Women in Sport to facilitate a Women in Coaching Taskforce, develop a 'This Girl Can' training course, and implement a £100,000 action learning project focused on female health education for coaches and sports leaders.
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16 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Mandate Sport England to oversee Swim England's response to coaching issues and culture.
Public weighing and body-shaming of girls and young women is wholly unacceptable. That this should have occurred in a sports environment, in which girls already face barriers to participation, is deplorable. Swim England must restore trust in swimming’s coaching practices … Read more
Government Response
The government generally agrees with the report's aims and highlights existing commitments and targets for women's and girls' participation in sport. However, it does not specifically address the call for Sport England to oversee Swim England or provide an update within two months.
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17 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Require DCMS to publish detailed insights, next steps, and timetable for integrity in sport.
Issues of bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination are not limited to swimming, with issues emerging across several sports in recent years. We welcome the DCMS’s call for evidence on integrity in sport, which closed three months ago, and expect to … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, stating it will publish insights from the integrity call for evidence and outline next steps, while noting the Sport Integrity service is increasingly used and its performance is being monitored by UK Sport.
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18 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Urge Government to actively support best practices for pregnancy and maternity in sport.
A long-overdue culture change is taking shape in sport around pregnancy and maternity. While policies and practices being adopted in funded Olympic and Paralympic sports and, to a lesser extent, in some professional women’s sports are welcome, there is still … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation, noting that employment rights for maternity and pay are determined by employment status and that sportswomen who are employees are entitled to statutory maternity leave and pay. It states that maternity leave and pay will be discussed by the Women’s Football Review Implementation Group and the Board of Women’s Sport.
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19 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Establish a permanent working group on best practice in pregnancy and maternity policy in sport.
We recommend the DCMS, UK Sport, Sport England and the sports’ national governing bodies establish a permanent working group on best practice in pregnancy and maternity policy, including maternity leave and pay and wider policies to support pregnant sportswomen and … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation, outlining existing statutory maternity rights and noting that the Board of Women's Sport, with UK Sport and Sport England, will include maternity leave and pay in its player welfare discussions.
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Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 12 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 7
Total 12 recs + 7 conclusions
Correspondence 17 letters
24 Apr 2024 Correspondence with Frasers Group, relating to the categorisation of football boots and the impact this has on women and girls, dated March/April 2024
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21 Mar 2024 Correspondence to Group CEO, Frasers Group PLC regarding barriers faced by women and girls in sport , dated 20 March 2024
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10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Sport England, relating to Sexism and inequalities in sport, dated 14 December 2023
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10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from UK Sports Institute, relating to Sexism and inequalities in sport, dated December 2023
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10 Jan 2024 Sport integrity statistics received from UK Sport, December 2023
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10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Minister for Schools, relating to health and physiology- related barriers for girls and women in sport, dated 19 December 2023
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13 Dec 2023 Correspondence from Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, relating to the Independent Review of women's football, dated 4 December 2023
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6 Dec 2023 Correspondence from the Youth Sport Trust relating to the Sexism and inequalities in sport inquiry, dated 29 November
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29 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Chair to the Minister for Women's health Strategy and Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, relating to Health and Physiology-related barriers for girls and women in sport and exercise, dated 22 November 2023
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29 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Chair to the Minister for Schools, relating to Health and physiology-related barriers for girls and women in sport and exercise, dated 22 November 2023
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8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from Nike, relating to football boots
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8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the FA Director of Women's Football, The Football Association, relating to women's football
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8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from Sports Direct, relating to football boots
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25 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Chief Executive Officer Swim England, relating to the health and wellbeing of female swimmers
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25 Oct 2023 Correspondence to Chief Executive Officer Swim England, relating to the health and wellbeing of female swimmers to
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7 Aug 2023 Responses from Sports Executives on design and manufacture of football boots
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5 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to Sport Executives on the design and manufacturing of football boots
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