MPs to hear from professional sportswomen on sexism and health inequality in sport
Former England players will be among the professional sportswomen appearing before the Women and Equalities Committee, in an upcoming evidence session on sexism and inequality in sport.
Meeting details
MPs will examine women’s health and physiological issues in sport, including how body image, periods, pregnancy and menopause can act as barriers to girls’ and women’s participation and elite performance. The Committee will explore how schools, sports clubs, coaches, and governing bodies can address these issues.
According to the BBC’s 2020 survey of elite British sportswomen, 58% of respondents did not feel supported by their club or governing body to have a baby and continue to compete. The same research found that 77.5% of sportswomen felt conscious of their body image.
In a second panel, the Committee will hear from a clinician, a specialist women’s sports and health coach, and organisations that promote women’s health and participation in sport and exercise.
MPs will also examine issues relating to the current understanding of women's sports injuries and whether some injuries disproportionately affect women. In a previous session, football journalist Suzanne Wrack suggested that the depth of research into women’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries “pales in comparison” to the type that would be done if it was “as big an issue in the men’s game”.