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8 July 2026 - Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women - Oral evidence

Committee Women and Equalities Committee
Inquiry Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women

Wednesday 8 July 2026

Start times: 2:00pm (private) 2:20pm (public)


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MPs to examine women’s careers in sports science sectors

The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from academic researchers and specialist practitioners working in the sports science sectors during the third evidence session of its inquiry: Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women.

Meeting details

At 2:00pm: Private discussion
Inquiry Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women
At 2:20pm: Oral evidence
Inquiry Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women
Head of Performance Health at England and GB Hockey at UK Sports Institute
Prof. of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University
Prof. of Women in Sport and the Director of the Women in Sport Research & Innovation Hub at Loughborough University
Senior Lecturer in Sport Performance Analysis at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Lead Performance Analyst at Welsh Feathers
Lecturer in Performance Analysis at University of Essex

MPs on the cross-party committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, will examine women’s career routes into sports science, including as researchers in academic settings and specialists, such as physiotherapists and physiologists working directly with athletes.

Discussion is likely to focus on barriers to pursuing careers in sports science and experiences of inequality within the field, including its impact on women’s health, performance and sports participation. The session may also explore workplace conditions and culture, kit and equipment designed for women, funding and the gender data gap.

WEC’s inquiry examinesways women and girls can be involved in sport beyond participating as athletes, players and competitors. It will also cover roles in club administration and sports governance, plus access to sports journalism and broadcasting. The inquiry explores access from grassroots level and pathways to professional and elite careers.

 

The predecessor Committee published a report in March 2024 on the health and physiology-related barriers to girls’ and women’s participation and performance in sport and exercise.

Location

Room 6, Palace of Westminster

How to attend