1. There were three changes to the membership of the Committee during the inquiry:

   • On 19 January 2023, Carol Mochan MSP was replaced by Paul Sweeney MSP.

   • On 18 April 2023, Gillian Martin MSP was replaced by Clare Haughey MSP.

   • On 25 April 2023, Paul O'Kane MSP was replaced by Carol Mochan MSP.

70. Our 2022 inquiry into the health and wellbeing of children and young people highlighted a significant decline in participation of girls in sport and physical activity as they reach adolescence. During that inquiry, the Committee heard evidence of the significant negative impact this decline can have on the short, medium and long-term physical health and mental wellbeing of girls and women.

71. Following on from this, the Committee agreed to undertake a follow-up inquiry to identify key barriers to female participation in sport and physical activity, including the intersectionality of additional barriers to participation, such as ethnicity and disability. A key aim of this new inquiry would be to explore how these barriers might be overcome in the future.

72. The Committee began the inquiry by issuing a call for views on 30 September 2022 which asked:

    • What issues, if any, affect women and girls taking part in community sport and physical activity? How might these challenges be overcome?

    • What issues, if any, affect women and girls taking part in elite sport? How might these challenges be overcome?

    • What additional issues, if any, affect women and girls from marginalised groups taking part in sport or physical activity? How might these challenges be overcome?

73. The call for views ran from 30 September until 9 December 2022 and received 221 submissions. Following its closure, research colleagues produced a summary of responses. The Committee also received a video submission setting out many of the challenges young women face when seeking to participate in sport and physical activity. A transcript of the video is also available to read.

74. The data gathered from the call for views is not intended to reflect a representative sample of the population, but rather to offer a snapshot of the experiences, opinions, and concerns expressed by those who responded, and to support the selection of appropriate witnesses to give oral evidence. The call for views was structured in a largely qualitative manner, with open text boxes to enable respondents to express their views in their own words. The responses were analysed using thematic analysis.

75. Before starting to take formal evidence as part of the inquiry, Members of the Committee participated in a programme of informal engagement in Dunfermline on 13 March 2023.

Scottish Parliament

76. As part of this visit, Committee Members met with representatives of the Scottish Sports Association Leadership Group to discuss some of the key barriers women and girls may face when seeking to participate in the sports and physical activities.

Scottish Parliament

77. The Committee then visited the Fighting Chance Judo Project at Carnegie Judo in Dunfermline, which is "dedicated to helping disadvantaged or disengaged young people realise their potential through sharing with them the values of judo". Finally, the Committee visited Dunfermline Reign Basketball Club to speak with women and girls about their experiences.

Scottish Parliament

78. The Committee also held eight formal evidence sessions, taking evidence from a broad range of relevant stakeholders, as detailed below:

    Meeting date	Witnesses and themes
    14 March 2023	Young Women's Movement (focusing on the Young Women Lead Committee)
    21 March 2023	stakeholders (focusing on community sport and recreational activity)
    28 March 2023	stakeholders (focusing on girls and young women)
    18 April 2023	stakeholders (focusing on elite sport)
    25 April 2023	stakeholders (focusing on media and broadcasting)
    23 May 2023	stakeholders (focusing on inequalities)
    30 May 2023	stakeholders (focusing on an overview of female participation)
    6 June 2023	the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport.

79. A 2019 Observatory for Sport in Scotland report "Sports participation in Scotland: trends and future prospects" found that although girls are more active than boys between the ages of five and seven, their participation drops significantly from the age of eight onwards. By ages 13-15, approximately 11% of girls in Scotland meet physical activity guidelines, compared to 24% of boys. The Observatory for Sport in Scotland also note:

    The gender gap is at its greatest in mid to late teenage years through to late 30s/early 40s. Amongst older demographics the gap narrows in part because male participation rates fall to those of women as drop-out increases among older men.

80. The report included international comparisons on rates of participation in sport and physical activity between Scotland, the Netherlands and Denmark. The report identified "a growing trend in Scotland towards a very active and sporty minority" but found that 37% of the UK adult population reported never participating in exercise and sport, compared to 20% in Denmark and 31% in the Netherlands.

81. In terms of female participation in sport and physical activity, the report identified a marginal difference in participation between genders in the Netherlands in favour of men while in Denmark, "women are as likely to participate in sport as men and may even by slightly more likely to participate than men". By contrast, the report concluded: "The picture is very different in Scotland with a large and persistent gender gap with men having much higher participation rates than women and little sign of the gap narrowing".

The Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board

82. In 2017, the Scottish Government established a Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board with the aim of increasing participation of women and girls in sport and physical activity and raising awareness of the importance of being physically active. In 2019, the Board published its Levelling the Playing Field report, setting out recommendations to support and encourage women and girls in sport.

83. The report includes recommendations for action by the Scottish Government to improve female representation in sports leadership and governance as well as recommendations to improve the gender balance of sports media coverage. It also recommends the creation of a Gender Beacon Collaborative for Sport to:

    Bring together leaders and experts from Scottish Government, local authorities, public bodies and third sector to take a holistic and systematic approach to gender equality in sport and physical activity and work to embed it across policy design and service delivery.

84. The remit and membership of the Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board are currently under review. The Scottish Government states that the recommendations of the Levelling the Playing Field report remain priorities.

The Scottish Government's Women's Health Plan

85. In August 2021, the Scottish Government published its Women's Health Plan, setting out a range of priorities aimed at reducing health inequalities for women. This included a commitment to establish a national Women's Health Champion and a Women's Health Lead in every NHS board "to drive change and share best practice and innovation". In January 2023, the Scottish Government announced the appointment of Professor Anna Glasier OBE as the first Women's Health Champion for Scotland.

The Young Women's Movement - Young Women Lead (YWL) Committee

86. YWCA Scotland - The Young Women's Movement is an organisation that supports the wellbeing and development of girls and young women. Among their projects is Young Women Lead (YWL), a leadership programme intended to encourage young women to engage with local and national democracy and work together to create change.

87. During 2018-19, the YWL Committee initiative operated in partnership with the Scottish Parliament. As part of this collaboration, the Committee held its own inquiry focusing on issues affecting the participation of young women in sport and physical activity. This inquiry culminated in a report detailing the YWL Committee's findings.

88. Evidence from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Scotland highlighted some of the positive impacts of regular participation in sport and physical activity:

    It is well documented that children and young people who partake in regular physical activity witness physical and mental benefits to their health, including maintaining a healthy weight which in turn reduces the probability of developing several non-communicable diseases such as: coronary heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, and colon cancer. Physical activity has many benefits – it is good for the heart and mind – and when coupled with a healthy diet, can enhance a child's health and wellbeing dramatically.

89. One individual respondent to the Committee's call for views, who works as a sports coach in schools, said: "Parents have told us, often, that the school sport improves their children's mental health, helps them settle and achieve in school, and is particularly beneficial for children with issues such as autism and ADHD."

90. Eilidh Paterson from Scottish Student Sport highlighted the wider benefits of sport and physical activity:

    The issue is not only about sporting activity; it is about how we view that activity and about wellbeing, as opposed to the NHS incurring costs. By seeing it that way, we will possibly stop some NHS services being used and that expense being incurred. Investing now in young people and creating good habits and ways of life will benefit us all in the future, with regard to health costs.Health, Social Care and Sport, Official Report, 28 March 2023

92. The inquiry identified a number of barriers to participation in sport and physical activity which are faced by girls during their teenage years and which can have a much longer term impact on rates of participation beyond those years.

93. Responses to the Committee's call for evidence confirmed the experience of many girls and women that the onset of puberty is a time when changes to their bodies, increased body consciousness and practical difficulties with managing periods can discourage many from taking part in sport of physical activity. Some individual adult respondents to the call for views reported that negative experiences during PE at school, associated with the onset of puberty, had deterred them from sport and physical activity well into adulthood.

94. The impact of puberty was also highlighted by the YWL Committee as a barrier to participation in PE. The bodily changes experienced by girls during puberty exacerbated feelings of self-consciousness, and made respondents feel uncomfortable about getting changed in open changing rooms, or participating in sports settings where they felt they could be looked at.

95. Rona Blackwood from the Children's Parliament told the Committee:

    The girls whom we spoke to said that periods are a huge barrier and that there is a lot of anxiety around periods and reproductive health; there is teasing and bullying around having your period. Boys do not always know or understand what is happening to girls when they are going into puberty and having their period...Regarding physical activity and sport, girls sometimes tell us that going to the toilet—or not being allowed to go to the toilet at certain times—is stressful for them, or that the toilet or the changing facilities do not feel private or suitable for using sanitary products.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

96. Respondents to the Committee's call for views shared teenage experiences of feeling self-conscious in exercise clothing, struggling to find supportive sports bras, and being worried about leaking whilst wearing white or form-fitting clothing during their period.

97. One respondent stated that helping girls to learn about supportive sports bras may help to address this barrier to participation. Another respondent suggested that modifying rules around sports kit to accommodate period-related concerns would also be beneficial, for example:

    "Allowing dark kit to avoid period problems."

98. In a written submission to the Committee, Dr Laura Forrest, Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, highlighted a study she conducted which found:

    • Among 789 teachers from various educational stages across the UK, with 24 per cent of participants based in Scotland 88 per cent of teachers perceived the menstrual cycle to have an impact on participation in PE, as well as other areas such as school attendance, attitude and behaviour. Moreover, 80 per cent of teachers expressed the belief that receiving training would be beneficial in improving menstrual education.

99. In the January 2023 progress report on the Scottish Government's Women's Health Plan, the then Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport indicated that work to date has included "relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in the Scottish curriculum" and that this "includes learning about menstrual health, including menopause and endometriosis".

100. Eilidh Paterson from Scottish Student Sport noted a need for a cultural change and a continuing conversation to remove the stigma surrounding periods:

     Sport is at the centre of culture, and if we want to achieve a culture shift in this area of work, sport can be an assisting driver in that...Changing the colour of shorts is not necessarily a solution—we do not want anyone leaking, whether into white shorts or blue shorts...I do not think that we are yet at the point of solving the problem, but sport can be a driver in making the conversation more natural for boys and girls...everyone should be aware of this bodily process, as it affects everybody. It is hugely important and it should not be seen as something to be hidden...Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

101. A lack of suitable sports kit and equipment was recognised by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport as a barrier to participation, particularly for teenage girls. The Minister highlighted a collaboration between the Scottish Sports Futures and Sweaty Betty, a luxury sportswear brand in which the brand provided hundreds of bras to young women who might have otherwise been prevented from getting involved in sport and physical activity because they did not have the right equipment.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

102. The Minister also noted that the Scottish Government has made a commitment, during the current session of Parliament, to introduce statutory guidelines that would increase the use of generic items of uniform in schools. She indicated that clothing and equipment for physical activity and sport would also feature in these new guidelines.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

106. The Committee's inquiry identified a gendered approach to the types of sports and physical activities girls are offered the opportunity to participate in as a societal barrier to their participation. In particular, it was pointed out that being offered a narrower range of activities to try can make it more difficult for girls to identify an activity that suits their individual preferences and that could become an ongoing activity they are able to continue to access after leaving school.

107. The YWL Committee's 2019 inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity found that sporting activities offered to young women are often restricted to certain sports and gendered in nature, with limited opportunities offered to take part in sports such as football and rugby.

108. In August 2022, the annual Childwise Monitor Report found a significant gender gap in access to sports such as football, rugby and cricket across the UK. The report, based on a survey of more than 2,700 school children, found that only 33% of girls aged 11 to 16 said they play football in school, compared to 63% of boys. The corresponding figures for rugby were 14% of girls compared to 29% of boys, while the figures for cricket were 12% of girls compared to 21% of boys.

109. During the Committee's evidence session with the Young Women's Movement on 14 March 2023, Katie Heath said:

     There were not really opportunities in schools for tasters of sports that people could then continue. That was a real barrier to young women and girls taking up the chance to enjoy sport and get engaged in later life.

110. LEAP Sports Scotland highlighted examples of girls being excluded from certain activities in PE classes as a further barrier to their participation:

     Studies found that girls were actively marginalised in PE class by boys and many described not being able to get involved in games or even getting to use equipment. Many teachers were found to be complicit in this marginalisation by not challenging the disruptive behaviour of boys in class. These negative experiences track throughout adulthood and can severely impact women and girls participation rates for the rest of their life.

111. During the inquiry, the Committee also heard anecdotal evidence that the Active Schools Programme helps introduce girls and young women to a wider variety of sports and activities, including providing an opportunity to take part in activities possibly not traditionally seen as girls' sports. Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

112. In 2004, the Active Schools programme was launched and every local authority in Scotland committed to delivering the programme in Primary, Secondary and Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools. Active Schools followed on from, and replaced, the earlier School Sport Coordinator Programme and the Active Primary School Pilot Programme.

113. The most recent evaluation of the Active Schools programme was completed in 2014. This concluded that "Active Schools has achieved its core aim of introducing “more and better” opportunities for young people in sport". In relation to female participation, the evaluation report stated: "Activity to target girls has been a real success in some areas. There is very clear evidence that girls only activities make a difference – particularly when based on consultation and when offering opportunities for peer support and leadership". However, it continued: "...there is a need for a continued focus on girls’ participation, as nationally girls’ participation remains slightly lower than boys". It should be noted that the evaluation report provides no specific figures in support of this claim around the difference in rates of participation between boys and girls. Indeed, as highlighted elsewhere in this report, there is ample evidence to suggest the difference in rates of participation between genders remains significant.

117. A further and related barrier to female participation identified by several respondents to the Committee's call for evidence was that they felt deterred from participation in PE during secondary school because the focus had shifted from participating in physical activity for fun to becoming competitive, with a greater emphasis on skill level.

118. To overcome this barrier, the YWL Committee report recommended focusing on the "fun factor" of sport and physical activity, providing opportunities for young women to foster community, peer support, and enjoyment.

119. Dr Mairi Stark from the RCPCH noted that individuals' perceptions of what constitutes a fun sport vary, so emphasised the importance of giving children the opportunity to try different sports, and to show their participation need not be all about competition. She argued the focus needs to be more about "children having a fun day and enjoying what they have been doing, without even realising that what they have been doing has been sport and exercise, because what they have had has been a fun time doing activities."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

120. This point was echoed by Eilidh Paterson from Scottish Student Sport:

     Nobody should be sending a child to a class, session or sport with the aim of them winning. The idea is that they are there to enjoy themselves, to have fun and to make friends with other people. I therefore encourage that to be the central point of all sport and activity, no matter the age or stage of the people involved, although that should certainly be the case in the very early stages. After all, if people do not find sport fun, they will not come back to it, they will not remain active and they will then see themselves as having been othered or will be inactive, possibly for life, because they will not see themselves as being welcome in that space.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

124. Evidence submitted to the Committee suggests that negative attitudes and behaviour by boys act as a further societal barrier to girls' participation in sport and physical activity, particularly during adolescence.

125. One individual submitting evidence to the Committee's recounted experiences of:

     Boys making disparaging remarks about girls appearance and skills.

     Another referred to:

     Sexism from lads at school with derogatory comments about female abilities or body shaming.

126. Rona Blackwood from the Children's Parliament shared experience from a recent gender stereotyping project which showed that boys do not necessarily understand or relate to girls’ experiences of feeling excluded and dismissed when participating in sport and physical activity. She emphasised the importance of addressing the issue directly with boys as well as fostering a friendly and mutually respectful atmosphere between boys and girls from a young age.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

127. Members heard from Jenni Snell and Katie Heath of the Young Women's Movement. They shared examples of successful engagement in schools with boys regarding their attitudes and behaviours towards girls, such as the "Don't Be That Guy" campaign run by Police Scotland. Jenni Snell added that these conversations should be a collaborative effort between schools and appropriate external partners, rather than expecting teachers to be solely responsible:

     Information and opportunities can be shared and there can be joined-up, collaborative work between third sector and youth work organisations and schools so that there is a holistic approach to education on misogynistic behaviours from a young age.

128. Asked about the impact of negative social attitudes on female participation in sport and physical activity, the Minister recognised that gender stereotypes continue to exist, where girls and women are expected to look and behave in a certain way and to conform to certain roles, with many believing that women's bodies are "pass-comment-able". The Minister acknowledged this can be particularly difficult for teenage girls, and that negative comments and attitudes by boys would be a barrier to girls' participation in sport and physical activity. The Minister emphasised the importance of education and the important role sport can play in changing culture more broadly for the better:

     Education can help to tackle that, but we have to recognise that—as with other societal challenges such as racism—the existence of sexism and misogyny in sport reflects society...I firmly believe that sport can lead the way on changing that culture.

131. During its inquiry, the Committee heard evidence that the comparative lack of opportunities for girls to engage in physical activity extends to informal settings such as the playground. During the Committee's evidence session on children and young people on 28 March 2023, Rona Blackwood from the Children's Parliament highlighted the negative impact on girls' levels of physical activity of boys dominating school playgrounds during break times:

     A really big issue is playground space. Boys often dominate playgrounds and playing fields, and if girls want to join in, they are not encouraged or allowed to. That is often not supported by the playground supervision staff, but it is allowed to happen, and huge swathes of the playground are taken over, often by football. Girls will often want to play but do not feel able to do so. The girls felt that trained supervision in the playground was really important.

133. Aside from those barriers to participation faced specifically by teenage girls, the inquiry also identified a range of barriers to participation in sport and physical activity that can affect women throughout their lives.

134. Included amongst these barriers to participation affecting women of all ages, a variety of women's health considerations were highlighted. These include ongoing impacts associated with menstruation, as well as the impact of menopause and of reproductive health conditions.

Managing periods

135. In terms of menstruation, respondents identified a number of ongoing barriers to participation, including period pain, leakage, and a lack of adequate toilet facilities in sports environments. The impact of reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis also impacted on some respondents' ability to participate in sport and physical activity.

136. During its meeting on 23 May 2023, Baz Moffat from The Well HQ pointed out that, as well as those participating in sport and physical activity directly, challenges with managing periods could equally impact female coaches, umpires, volunteers, and others, acting as a barrier to their participation as well.

137. The Committee also heard evidence that these issues equally create barriers to participation for elite athletes. These issues are addressed separately in the section of this report that deals with barriers to female participation in elite sport.

Pregnancy and post-partum physical activity

138. The Committee heard evidence that women can face particular barriers to participation in sport and physical activity during pregnancy and the post-natal period. Some respondents felt that support for women to participate in physical activity when pregnant or post-partum could be improved.

139. In its written submission to the inquiry, Public Health Scotland outlined the findings of a variety of research into female participation in sport and physical activity during pregnancy and the post-partum period. This set out a number of additional barriers to participation faced by women in these circumstances:

     Additional commonly reported barriers to sport and physical activity during pregnancy are pregnancy symptoms including discomfort and fatigue; a lack of knowledge of what constitutes safe activity; and the opinions of women's social circles, including others’ expectations that they should ‘sit down and slow down’. Time, maternal responsibilities and physical status were three broad categories identified as influencing exercise patterns in the postpartum period.

140. During the Committee's evidence session on 18 April 2023, Connie Ramsay discussed her work to support women to return to physical activity after pregnancy:

     Since opening my own gym, I have been trying to work with women who had no confidence to go into a normal gym… As soon as they fall pregnant, many people in society say, "Oh, I'm pregnant, so I can't do any exercise." I am trying to change people's mindset. Once they have had the baby, they can, if their body has healed properly, start to slowly get back into sport. We need to widen people's attitudes and encourage them to see that there are ways and means of doing this.

141. As addressed later in this report, the Committee also heard evidence that choosing to become pregnant or to start a family can create particular barriers to participation for female athletes at an elite level.

Menopause

142. The Committee heard evidence that a lack of understanding of the impact of the menopause on physical activity and a lack of support for women to feel comfortable participating in sport whilst experiencing the physical symptoms associated with menopause create further barriers to participation. Some respondents to the Committee's call for evidence raised concerns that the marketing and promotion of female sport and physical activity made women in midlife feel that sport was "not for them".

143. In its written response to the Committee's call for views, Public Health Scotland reported a decline in physical activity by many women entering midlife, due in part to the additional barriers to participation associated with the menopause. Public Health Scotland suggested this decline is particularly regrettable since sustaining physical activity has the potential to address some of the health impacts of menopause:

     Particularly towards and into midlife, woman cite reduced capability due to health issues, declining fitness levels and a lack of energy as another significant barrier. Embarrassment about weight and shame about menopause symptoms, and a fear that physical activity may worsen them, also contributed to a lack of participation. Conversely, evidence shows that regular physical activity can in fact oppose the detrimental effects not only of ageing, but also of the menopausal transition, on cardiovascular health. While vascular benefits can be gained at all ages, initiating physical activity before, at or soon after menopause may be more effective than later in life.

144. On 1 May 2023, the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) published its Moving Through Menopause report, which explored the relationship between menopause and physical and mental wellbeing. The report called on sporting organisations to create more inclusive opportunities for women to be physically active during menopause, and advocated for a cross-sectoral approach to normalising menopause in physical activity and across society more generally.

145. Women in Sport shared their five principles for encouraging women experiencing menopause to become involved in sport and physical activity:

     • Endless possibilities, expand perceptions and opportunities for being active.

     • Judgement-free zone, make active environments welcoming and supportive.

     • Support network, offer activities with built in social support.

     • Expand the image of what 'sporty' means with inspiring, relatable role models.

     • Make it relevant by referencing specific benefits for activity and sport.

Urinary incontinence and pelvic floor health

146. Several respondents also referred to the impact of urinary incontinence on female participation in sport and physical activity. Respondents felt that the prevalence and impact of urinary incontinence was under-acknowledged at health service and government level, and that further research and support was needed to facilitate the involvement of women experiencing incontinence.

147. Mairi Stark from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health told the Committee that urinary incontinence also represents a significant barrier to female participation in sport and physical activity:

     Urinary incontinence is huge. It is not talked about; it is a bigger taboo than periods...If you cannot cough or sneeze or run for a bus, you are not going to want to do sport. It is about helping women who are older so that they can then be role models for their children, rather than have a situation where, once you are a certain age, you cannot do sport because you cannot actually move.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

148. Several individuals submitting evidence to the Committee's call for views agreed that urinary incontinence is a significant barrier to participation in sport and physical activity for many women but equally argued that it is a condition that can be easily resolved for a majority of women affected. One individual said:

     60% [of] women wet themselves. This is a near total barrier to exercise. There is gold standard evidence behind the prevalence, we know that pelvic floor exercises work for 3/4 of women and Physiotherapy is front line treatment.

Improved education and research

149. To help break down barriers to participation associated with women's health conditions, one respondent to the Committee's call for evidence called for "proper research into periods, endometriosis and menopause and put the sport scientists to work on alleviating these problems that only affect females."

150. The need for improved education on female health was highlighted by Baz Moffat from The Well HQ. She advised she has been working with the Chartered Institute of the Management of Sport and Physical Activity to develop a standard for this. Baz concluded:

     Until we educate the people who look after girls about female health—covering all the life stages from puberty, to prenatal and postnatal to menopause, including issues such as periods, bras, pelvic health and the increased risk of injury—and implement that into our coaching education, it will not matter how much we promote sport in order to get girls in, we will still see a gender gap in female participation and performance.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

151. Rona Blackwood from the Children's Parliament highlighted the importance of providing better education for boys in relation to periods and reproductive health:

     The girls whom we spoke to said that periods are a huge barrier and that there is a lot of anxiety around periods and reproductive health; there is teasing and bullying around having your period. Boys do not always know or understand what is happening to girls when they are going into puberty and having their period.

152. The Committee also heard evidence of the need for improved training for coaches to overcome barriers to participation of girls and women in sport and physical activity. Baz Moffat from The Well HQ suggested that female health should be an integral part of mandatory training modules for coaches on wellbeing and safeguarding:

     ...if we consider it as part of wellbeing and safeguarding, we will not be competing for space on coaching courses but will be saying that it is something that needs to be integrated into training.

157. Many respondents to the Committee's call for evidence identified poor self confidence and issues around body image as a barrier to participation in sport and physical activity for many girls and women.

158. One contributor to the Committee's call for evidence suggested:

     ...the relationship between body image and physical activity is a vicious circle; the more self-conscious they feel about their bodies, the less likely they are to take part in physical activity.

159. The Observatory for Sport in Scotland advised psychological factors around self-identity, self-confidence, self-efficacy, body image and perceived competence are fundamental to whether a young person takes part in sport, and sustains participation into adulthood. The OSS stated:

     Evidence that these factors relate differently to young men and women, with an early socialisation process that leads to gender stereotyping, is shown repeatedly in studies. Many who lack self-confidence find sporting venues intimidating. This is a major challenge for providers, many of whom, being sporty themselves, reveal little recognition of what it feels like to enter a setting lacking self-confidence, unsure of how to behave, what to say, what to do and worrying about what other people think of you and of 'showing yourself up'.

161. The Committee heard that negative attitudes and behaviours by teachers and coaches and a lack of positive role models and women in leadership roles discourages female participation in sport and physical activity.

162. The importance of positive role models for young women and girls in sport was raised by many submitting written evidence to the inquiry. Respondents particularly emphasised the importance of female role models in leadership and coaching, in addition to girls and women being able to see positive representation of elite female athletes and athletes with disabilities. In this regard, Women in Sport argued that the aim should be to: "Expand the image of what 'sporty' means with inspiring, relatable role models." Women in Sport also argued that "Quite simply, the number of women in senior coaching and leadership roles in sport... ...is unacceptable."

163. The Committee heard that sports organisations often struggle to recruit women into leadership and management roles, receiving few applications for roles from female candidates. Attendees at the Committee's informal meeting with representatives of the membership of the Scottish Sports Association suggested that work should be undertaken to better understand why women are less likely to apply for such roles.

164. The Women in Leadership report produced by the Observatory for Sport in Scotland found that, in 2020, just over 27% of sports coaches were female. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government's 2022 teacher census found a total of 2,051 secondary school Physical Education teachers in Scotland of which 988 were female and 1,063 were male.

165. Volunteer Scotland told us that this is also an issue when it comes to voluntary roles:

     One of the key barriers women and girls face when participating in community sport and physical activity is a lack of representation from volunteers who support or lead it. The adult formal volunteering participation rate is fairly balanced between men and women, however this changes with sport and physical activity volunteering. In 2018, 21% of male formal volunteers supported organisations focussed on physical activity, sport and exercise, whilst the equivalent rate for female volunteers was only 11% - almost half.

166. The Committee heard many examples of good work being undertaken to try to overcome these barriers. The Active Schools Programme was highlighted numerous times as a successful vehicle for increasing girls' participation and of introducing girls and young women to leadership roles in sport and physical activity. The Committee also heard evidence of additional work in certain sports, such as Scottish Swimming, which has created a Young Volunteer Programme.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

167. Ailsa Wyllie from sportscotland highlighted that sportscotland receives more applications from girls than from boys for their leadership and coaching programmes . She concluded: "We hope that that will have a knock-on effect in years to come, so that those girls have the confidence and the self-esteem to be our future leaders and coaches in the sporting system."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 June 2023

168. Scottish Student Sport also highlighted the role of male leaders and role models in promoting women's sport:

     A common solution within all of these issues is male leaders and peers. Ensuring it is not just women trying to invest and develop women's sport locally it is vital that the men are raising and part of these conversations and actions.

169. Baz Moffat from The Well HQ highlighted the importance of creating supportive, flexible working arrangements to encourage more female staff and volunteers in sport:

     It is not just about giving them the leadership programmes but about creating environments in which it is not expected that they will need to stick to a rigid sporting structure—for example, "You have to train on a Tuesday night and on a Saturday morning, and you have to commit to do everything." It is about taking a much more flexible approach to ensure that we have more female volunteers and coaches supporting girls and women.

170. Respondents also suggested that role models should reflect a diversity of sporting abilities and experiences, in addition to representing women and girls from marginalised communities. Glasgow Life/Glasgow Sport made a series of recommendations regarding this topic:

     A wide range of factors can support women and girls to participate fully in sport and physical activities at community-level. These include:

     • Positive role models

     • Peer-to-peer support

     • Increasing the women and girls involved in the governance and management of sports' clubs and associations

     • Female coaches and programmes focusing on the recruitment and retention of female coaches.

174. During the inquiry, the Committee heard a range of views regarding the relative benefits of providing opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport and physical activity in either a mixed or single sex environment.

175. Many respondents to the Committee's call for views reported a lack of available opportunities for women and girls to participate in female-only activities as a barrier to their participation.

176. In particular, the YWL Committee found a preference among many contributing to its inquiry for female-only sports classes and activities. As an example, the YWL Committee report noted a significant increase in PE attendance for swimming lessons at one particular high school after girls-only classes were introduced.

177. Conversely, some respondents argued that sex-segregated sport and physical activity might further exacerbate the problem. Instead, these respondents suggested inclusion of girls could be improved by integrating sporting activities in schools between boys and girls and by putting in place specific supervisor training to enable them to tackle instances of sexist behaviour and harassment. Some respondents also suggested that educating men and boys regarding their attitudes towards women and girls may help to create safer, more inclusive mixed-sex sporting environments. Eilidh Paterson from Scottish Student Sport questioned the need for all activity to be segregated:

     ...there is sometimes no need to segregate boys and girls when it comes to activities in which they take part. Why are we segregating boys and girls from a young age? Is there any particular reason why young people need to be segregated? In physical education classes, they take part together. Segregation by gender sometimes encourages negative thoughts, instead of having people play together with the idea that they can play that particular sport very well, whether they are a boy or a girl.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

178. Responding to the Committee's call for views, the Children's Parliament shared key findings from its 2022 Gender Equality in Education and Learning report, which suggested that informed, supportive integration of boys' and girls' sports may help to address the barriers to participation in sport experienced by girls in school:

     Amongst its calls to action, the report recommends that adults/key decision makers should:

     • Support inclusion of girls in sport and play

     • Provide space for girls to play alongside boys

     • Ensure girls are included in all sport and play

     • Provide trained supervision in playgrounds and spaces where girls experience sexism and sexual violence

     • Remove gendered uniforms and sports kit to allow more inclusive play.

181. The Committee has heard evidence throughout the inquiry of the impact childcare considerations and other caring responsibilities can have on female participation in community sport and physical activity. During the Committee's evidence session with the Young Women's Movement on 14 March 2023, Jenni Snell suggested that introducing accessible childcare options into leisure facilities could help to mitigate the impact of childcare costs upon women's ability to participate in sport:

     Recently, the cost of childcare for young mums—as it has for all mums and parents—has significantly increased. The Poverty Alliance did some research on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on women. They are bearing the brunt of childcare, which will certainly impact their ability and capacity to take part in sport. Having accessible childcare options within leisure facilities and sports clubs, or being able to take part in baby and mum or baby and parent classes, is an important part of lowering that barrier.

182. The Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland identified a significant gender disparity in the provision of unpaid care. This finding is further reinforced by the results of the Carers Census Scotland 2021-22 which found that 73% of unpaid carers in Scotland are female. This means that any impact of caring responsibilities upon ability to participate in sport and physical activity therefore disproportionately affects women and girls.

183. In this context, the need for support to enable unpaid carers to take part in sport and physical activity themselves was highlighted as a related issue by Parkinson's UK Scotland:

     Lack of carer identification means that unpaid carers are missing out on support, including access to short breaks or home care packages that could help them make time for physical activity. Action needs to be taken to make sure that carers are identified and enabled to access their rights under the Carers Rights Scotland Act.

184. Kim Atkinson from the Scottish Sports Association suggested employers should be actively encouraged to become "wellbeing employers", meaning they would give their staff time to be physically active and to volunteer. Whilst this would benefit everybody, Kim argued that this was likely to benefit women the most. She concluded:

     Maybe we would have more female coaches and female volunteers as role models if women had time, so let us not make cost a barrier to giving that time. Let us make employers think that, actually, that also helps people's wellbeing. At a time of a really difficult recruitment market, that might make it easier for employers to recruit and retain staff.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 June 2023

185. The Minister acknowledged that childcare and caring in general are important issues, and told the Committee she has been encouraging many sports to think about ways of coordinating opportunities for women and their children to exercise at the same time as one another. She concluded: "...given that women do a lot of children's activities and organise a lot of aspects of children's lives, we need to provide opportunities for women to participate in sport while their children are doing the same."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

Fear and experiences of harassment in sporting venues and clubs

190. Fear and negative experiences of harassment at sporting venues and clubs have had a negative impact on many women submitting evidence to the inquiry., making them less willing to participate in sport and physical activity. At gyms and in pools, respondents shared experiences of being harassed by men, and filmed on mobile phones whilst exercising or in changing areas, without their consent.

191. Glasgow Life/Glasgow Sport stated that poor safeguarding, bullying, and harassment remain problems that discourage women and girls from participating in sport and physical activity. To overcome this, they called for the development of safe ways for people to report and challenge these behaviours:

     Some sport organisations and participants are dealing with issues with their origin in poor safeguarding, and attitudes ranging from bullying to harassment permeating functions from governance to the role of volunteers. It is important that learning from historical abuse informs current practice, but also that there are safe routes to flag and address concerns for anyone participating in community sport and physical activities which are taken seriously, properly investigated and supportive.

192. During the Committee's evidence session with representatives of community sports organisations, Kirsty Garrett of Glasgow Life outlined the role of sports governing bodies in addressing harassment and investigating complaints:

     Ideally, you expect the club to have good governance and good finance structures but also a good code of conduct. Therefore, if an incident were to happen, the person would know exactly who to speak to and the club would take the incident down an appropriate route. That might require the involvement of a governing body or Glasgow Life, depending on the circumstances. We expect our sports clubs and organisations to have a code of conduct, best practice, fair play and so on within their structures to ensure that issues can be dealt with at a local level. If they cannot be dealt with at a local level, as I say, it can be escalated to the governing body or us.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

Fear and experiences of harassment in public places

193. A number of respondents to the Committee's call for evidence shared direct experiences of being harassed whilst exercising in public. Kate Joester emphasised the importance of addressing the harassment faced by girls and women whilst walking:

     ...there is a lot to be said about changing how we talk about women's physical safety in public spaces. However, there is also a lot to be said about changing the facts of how we as women and girls experience public spaces. Harassment needs to stop and to be taken seriously at every level, and that is work for men and boys to do, as much as it is for women and girls.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 14 March 2023

Access to public transport

194. Ewelina Chin from HSTAR Scotland noted that women who reside in rural places, and places that are more deprived, experience barriers to participation not only related to cost but because of safety concerns related to the use of public transport:

     Ladies are often scared about their safety or are unable to access transport. No accessibility is provided in rural places...They do not allow their girls to participate in sport activities, because that would require them to use public transport, which is not the safest after dark. Most classes are held in the evening. ...so a class at 6, 7 or 8 pm for a mother or a child is unacceptable, because the risk is too high.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

Safety and perceptions of safety around walking, running and cycling

195. Amongst written submissions to the inquiry, safety and perceptions of safety were raised as particularly prominent concerns when discussing physical activities such as running or cycling, and everyday physical activity such as walking. During the Committee's meeting on 21 March 2023, Kate Joester from Living Streets Scotland said:

     Everyday walking is one of the things that have the potential to be absolutely transformational, in the sense that it can move a huge number of people from a position of not being sufficiently active to get the mental and physical health benefits to a position of being sufficiently physically active… However, we have the problem that women feel less safe simply walking to work and girls feel less safe walking to school. The issues around that are very complex. There are a lot of issues around perceptions of safety and actual safety, and the way that, as women and girls, we are trained to take responsibility for our safety and to be blamed for any lack of safety.

196. Living Streets Scotland noted that safety concerns disproportionately deter women and girls from participating in active travel such as walking or cycling:

     There are structural barriers in the way of women and girls building walking into their lives, and those include public transport designed around the single-trip commute, the perception and reality of lack of safety – both from motor traffic and from interpersonal violence – and street harassment.

197. Similarly, Sustrans Scotland emphasised the gendered nature of safety concerns regarding cycling:

     Perception of safety is a major obstacle to women and girls taking up physical activity. In Scottish cities, 39% of women think cycling is safe in their area vs 45% of men (walking and Cycling Index, 2022). Women cycle on average slower than men, and report a higher rate of near misses than men: they report around 50% more close passes per mile than men (Aldred, 2015). In cities and towns, this feeling of safety is also linked to lack of general maintenance, especially in the winter months.

198. To overcome this barrier to participation, Glasgow Life/Glasgow Sport suggested "Physical infrastructure including street lighting and infrastructure design should consider personal safety issues to enable girls and women to exercise freely whenever they wish without fear of violence or harassment."

199. Some respondents argued that a failure to address the safety concerns of women and girls when creating and improving infrastructure to support active travel might be partially attributed to the male-dominated nature of the transport planning profession. To address this issue, Sustrans Scotland suggested:

     It is also important for the transport and planning sectors to include women's views in their decision-making process. Only 13% of UK transport professionals report they always consider gender in their day-to-day work, whereas 46% never consider it and 41% somewhat consider it. In Scotland, transport has the lowest proportion of women (6.25%) represented in senior positions within the public sector. Planning needs to not only account for commuting journeys but also school trips, care journeys, etc.

200. In support of this view, witnesses argued there is a need for more females in leadership roles in the design and delivery of infrastructure and that this would help to create the structures necessary to enable and encourage women and girls to feel safe and therefore to participate more regularly in sport and physical activity. Kate Joester, from Living Streets Scotland told the Committee:

     It is important to see more women in the places where we talk about planning and transport planning and that sort of thing, because our transport and places are, broadly speaking, planned by male-dominated professions, which is sometimes very obvious...It is also about the ways in which we see paths being planned, for example. Women pay closer attention to safety, and we often see that that is not supported by the places that we are walking through.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

201. Some respondents to the Committee's call for views, including the Scottish Women's Convention, suggested that a feminist approach to town planning, such as that adopted by Glasgow City Council, could create suitable conditions for improvements to be made to facilities and infrastructure that help to make women feel safe when exercising:

     As stated, women do not feel comfortable exercising in public places, greatly limiting their ability to stay fit and healthy. By ensuring that towns and cities have good street lighting, public transport hubs within town centres and better paths, women and girls will have improved opportunities to partake in exercise… Therefore, it is vital that the Scottish Government implement feminist town planning Scotland-wide and improve walking paths for rural communities.Scottish Women's Convention written submission

202. Living Streets Scotland shared recommendations from their "Tools for Inclusion: Equality Impact Assessment in Local Authority Streets Practice" report, arguing that the particular needs of women and girls need to be more fully integrated into the policy development process:

     At a high level, policy such as the National Walking Strategy and the draft National Planning Framework 4 should provide the framework for improving structural support for improving everyday walking rates among women. However, the NWS's stated commitment to equality is not broken down into specific areas or targets around gender and participation or provision. Implementation of these strategies needs to happen with equality awareness designed in from the earliest stages. Funding, strategy and infrastructure should be subject to equality impact assessment at every level to make sure that it is fit for the whole of Scotland's population.

203. Kate Joester from Living Streets Scotland also raised concerns about the inconsistent application of equality impact assessments. Based on prior research, she suggested that whilst national guidance was good, there was often far less certainty whether adequate equality impact assessments would have been undertaken in practice in individual cases:

     We looked at 20 examples, including plans for snow clearing and plans for specific developments, and we found four equality impact assessments that were available for those 20 projects. For example, a project had gone to a...regeneration committee—and although the answer to the question whether the required equality impact assessment had been done was no, the project went straight through the committee.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

208. The inquiry identified the design and availability of facilities including changing rooms as another area where women and girls face additional multiple barriers to their participation in sport and physical activity.

Facilities primarily catered to men

209. Many individual respondents to the Committee's call for views felt that they had fewer opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity as a result of more restricted access to facilities and infrastructure compared to men and boys . One respondent said:

     Traditionally there are fewer opportunities in the community for women and girls to take part in team/group organised and structured activity. Many clubs have been set up to cater for male team sport participation, and while many now cater for female groups, the structure is geared more towards men/boys, in terms of venue, time, facilities.

210. One individual respondent echoed this view, arguing that facilities and infrastructure tend to be primarily catered to the needs of boys and men:

     One of the main issues with taking part in sport as a female is that sport is set up for men. I have been involved in a variety of sport as a youngster and still now as a Scottish Masters hockey player. I am also a PE teacher and a hockey coach.

     • changing facilities which provide no privacy and space

     • shower facilities built for men

     • outdoor pitches and facilities which have no toilet facilities close by (what happens when females unexpectedly have a period)

211. In its written submission to the inquiry, the Scottish FA acknowledges this issue and informed the Committee that it has now taken a position that, when facilities are being created or upgraded, they must be designed with female use in mind.

212. The importance of upgrading facilities to suit the needs of female participants was reiterated by representatives of sports governing bodies during the Committee's engagement event in Dunfermline on 13 March. However, Members also heard that a lack of funding for the development and improvement of facilities presents a significant barrier to addressing this challenge.

213. Patrick Murphy from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture a noted: "In some cases, the estate is not fit for purpose for certain groups or for certain diverse elements of the community. I think that we face a real challenge in that area with regard to funding and finance."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

Unequal access to facilities

214. Many individual respondents to the call for views felt that men and boys were often given priority use of community sports facilities, with activities and time slots for women-only activities planned around the preferences of male participants. Several respondents offered the example of football pitches which are often pre-booked for use by men and boys, leaving female football teams having to accept very early or late kick-off times.

215. However, Patrick Murphy from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture suggested this experience did not correspond to his own, arguing:

     ...if you are talking about club lets and casual bookings, it is very equitable. Anyone can book online to do that, so I do not see that as an issue. I think that I know what you mean about the traditional bookings...but they still need to try to book that on an annual or a 12-week basis....I do not think that people being able to get the slots that they would like is an issue for accessibility.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

216. Kirsty Garrett from Glasgow Life advised that her organisation has a community of venue programmers in Glasgow who try to resolve such issues:

     ...if an organisation such as a women's sports club came to us and was looking for a particular time slot, the programmers would look across the estate to try to find a suitable venue at a suitable time. That might mean that we move somebody else from one venue to another, because that space would be better used by another group or organisation.We might say that if young men are playing football at peak time but that means that the kids are going to be playing at 9 o'clock at night, that is not a good use of the space and time. There would be negotiations and conversations with organisations to try to programme our venues more equitably. We have people who look at that, as it is important.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

Access to the school estate

217. During the Committee's evidence session on 30 May 2023, witnesses raised the issue of expanding the use of the school estate as a venue for community sport and physical activity . Kim Atkinson of The SSA highlighted the need for collaborative working across Committee remits to understand the barriers affecting the use of the school estate for sport and physical activity in the community. Kim argued that opening up access to the school estate in this way would be particularly beneficial for women seeking to participate in sport and physical activity:

     ...there are safety challenges related to accessing facilities, including in relation to late-night travel and whether women are able to take part in active travel as they would like... ...What is the solution? It might be to have a local facility—a facility that women know, that is in their local area, and which is welcoming. A school might seem like a specific solution...Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

218. The Health and Sport Committee held its Sport for Everyone inquiry during Session 5, which identified a number of challenges affecting use of the school estate by the community, including access to school facilities outwith school hours, and the cost of accessing facilities. The report concluded:

     Approaches taken by schools and local authorities vary greatly, suggesting to us there is a role for the government to work with local authorities and schools encouraging a more flexible approach to using the school estate. Access requires to be widened and there needs to be better support for the objective of increasing participation in sport.

219. Evidence submitted to the current inquiry suggests these issues have yet to be satisfactorily addressed and access of community sport and physical activity to the school estate remains inconsistent and, in too many cases, difficult.

220. In relation to the school estate, the Minister told the Committee that the Scottish Government has "lots of policies in place to enable its use, and it is seeing lots of use. More could happen and we could go further, but we have made a great deal of progress in the past years."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023 Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland added:

     ...it has been a while since we have done any research on that; I think that 2014 was the last time that sportscotland did a formal study, but it speaks regularly to local authorities and raises the school estate as a continual issue. In many cases, it comes down to scheduling more than facilities not being open but, again, it is just a case of working through all those challenges.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

Changing facilities

221. The Committee heard evidence that sportscotland provides guidance on the design and build of changing spaces with the more modern approach being the provision of changing villages that are open to all, with the intention being that these facilities should be as inclusive as possible.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

222. A 'changing village' typically has no gender specific areas and instead provides private cubicles where individuals or families can change.

223. The mixed sex nature of many changing facilities and sport environments was highlighted as a concern, with many respondents expressing discomfort, self-consciousness, and safety fears when sharing exercise facilities such as gyms or swimming pools with men. Mixed sex changing villages were noted as not offering sufficient privacy or safety.

224. The impact of communal facilities on young women's participation in sport and physical activity, even when they are single-sex facilities, is also addressed in the YWL Committee report. The report found that many communal female changing rooms both within and outwith schools are open-plan, creating feelings of insecurity and self-consciousness for young women, particularly those going through puberty. To address this, the report recommends improving changing facilities to increase privacy.

225. The Minister supported this, noting:

     With regard to communal changing spaces, I note that women tend to have a preference for privacy, so changing the changing rooms so that it is possible for women and girls to change privately rather than in a communal space will help.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

229. The Committee heard evidence throughout the inquiry that access to and availability of funding can also be significant barriers to female participation in sport and physical activity. During the Committee's evidence session with representatives of sports governing bodies and other high-level organisations on 30 May 2023, a number of concerns regarding funding for sport were raised.

230. Kim Atkinson of the Scottish Sports Association emphasised the importance of viewing sport and physical activity as an investment, rather than a cost. She stated that a key challenge for sports funding at national level is that it is allocated annually by sportscotland, because sportscotland also receives its funding annually. The short-term nature of this funding creates challenges with recruitment and retention of staff, and longer-term planning and this has a particular impact on programmes aimed at supporting female participation.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

231. This point was reiterated by Robert Nesbitt from SAMH:

     Some of the challenge for programmes is the short-term nature of that funding. We continue to advocate for longer-term funding to allow us to reach people and engage, and to ensure that we are creating a real participation pathway to enable young women and women to be involved in physical activity and sport.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

232. Flora Jackson of Public Health Scotland stated that reduced investment in sport and leisure facilities, and a focus on providing "adequate provision" of services rather than increasing engagement, disproportionately impacts women and girls as they are less likely to be physically active. Flora argued that funding should be targeted towards increasing the participation of women and girls, and other inactive groups, in sport and physical activity.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

233. During the Committee's evidence session with representatives of community sport and physical activity on 21 March 2023, Euan Lowe from Scottish Swimming outlined the financial challenges facing community sport and leisure facilities:

     Sport and leisure at all levels are facing a challenge with upkeep maintenance and the ability to run a good-quality service, given the funding situation and the problems that we face with rising energy costs and the workforce issues that we have, which many of our partners are contending with. Those financial burdens make it a challenge for any council or trust to provide as good a quality of experience as they would like to.

234. The inquiry received evidence that swimming is one of the most popular forms of physical activity undertaken by women. The Scottish Household Survey 2021 reported that 12% of female respondents had been swimming in the previous four weeks, compared to 10% of male respondents. By comparison, the percentage of men participating in most other identified categories of sport and physical activity, including cycling, running, football and golf, was significantly higher than the corresponding percentage of women. On this basis, many contributors to the inquiry argued that the closure of swimming pools is likely to have a disproportionate negative impact on women and girls and their participation in physical activity compared to the closure of most other categories of sporting facility.

235. In England, the UK Government recently announced the Swimming Pool Support Fund which will provide a total of £60 million to local authorities in England as a support package for public leisure facilities with swimming pools. Revenue grants totalling £20m will be made available to support facilities with swimming pools that are currently facing increased cost pressures that leave them more vulnerable to closure or service reduction. Meanwhile, £40m will be made available for capital investment to improve the energy efficiency of these public facilities in the medium to long term.

236. Kim Atkinson from the Scottish Sports Association pointed out that 90% of investment in sport in Scotland is delivered through local authorities, and questioned how much of that investment actually goes into sport. She suggested more work should be undertaken to hold local authorities accountable for the level of investment they are making to support participation in sport and physical activity.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

237. The National Benchmarking Overview Report 2021-22 showed that local authority expenditure on leisure and culture services decreased by 23.6% between 2010-11 and 2021-22. Over this period, statistical evidence suggests that local government funding has increasingly focused on priority areas such as education and social care, in line with Scottish Government policy commitments.

238. Kim Atkinson from the SSA cautioned that the current monitoring and measuring requirements associated with government funding for sport and physical activity may not lead to the desired outcomes. She suggested incorporating a more qualitative approach to better understand people's experience of participating in sport. Kim also argued that the level of monitoring and measurement required is sometimes disproportionate to the amount of funding received, and suggested that a greater balance between monitoring and delivery of funded projects is needed.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

239. The Committee learned that some sporting bodies have explored alternative approaches to evaluating the impact of their investments, such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) analyses. The Scottish Football Association completed an SROI analysis in 2018 to determine the social value of football to Scotland. The analysis concluded that grassroots football provides over £1 billion of value to Scottish society.

240. Some contributors to the inquiry argued that exploring alternative approaches to monitoring and measuring the impact of projects could potentially support Scotland's transition to a Wellbeing Economy. The Scottish Government describes a key objective of Wellbeing Economy Governments as being to "collaborate in pursuit of innovative policy approaches aimed at enhancing wellbeing through a broader understanding of the role of economics."

241. Baz Moffat from The Well HQ made the case for a "carrot and stick approach" towards directing funding. In this context, she noted that, in order to qualify for funding, Sport England has required organisations to demonstrate progress towards a goal of having 30 per cent female representation on their boards. As a consequence, this goal has now been achieved. In the field of research into sport and physical activity, Baz highlighted a similar approach in America whereby organisations would only qualify for research funding if they made a commitment that their research would focus on females as well as males.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

242. Maureen McGonigle from Scottish Women in Sport expressed regret that sports that are represented by boards that continue to lack diversity still receive funding, arguing: "If we have the strength to change things—financial strength—we have to use that for benefit, because until we get diversity and inclusion on the boards we will not solve the problem." However, Kim Atkinson, SSA disagreed with the premise that greater diversity on the boards of sports associations should be achieved by the introduction of quotas, arguing: "Quotas will not be helpful; they will push things back". Instead, she argued that the focus should be on supporting women to feel more confident to put themselves forward to sit on the boards of sporting associations so the field of potential candidates becomes more diverse.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023

243. Giving evidence to the Committee, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport reiterated the Scottish Government's commitment to double funding for sport and physical activity during the current term of the Scottish Parliament. This commitment was included in the Scottish Government's Programme for Government for 2021-22. The commitment is to "double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament " and the Scottish Government has further committed that, in implementing that funding increase, "More participation and visibility of girls and women in sport is a priority".

244. The Minister also acknowledged the significant challenges local authorities currently face with funding but argued there are no easy short-term solutions to these challenges. At the same time, she indicated that work was underway to put the sport and leisure estate on a better footing. Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland at the Scottish Government indicated there are regular discussions with local authorities and Community Leisure UK (umbrella body for leisure trusts) to understand the current status, and that sportscotland is commencing a full facilities review to understand the condition and maintenance requirements of physical activity infrastructure throughout Scotland.

245. In relation to local authority funding, the Minister was asked whether there was more the Scottish Government could do to ensure that funding is effectively targeted, and to hold local authorities accountable for their investment in sport. In response, the Minister argued it is not the Scottish Government's role to interfere in local government spending decisions and she would not be in favour of ring fencing local government budgets for sport and physical activity.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

246. TO BE ADDED: Some background context to sources of public funding for sport and physical activity, including from local authorities and including reference to the Verity House Agreement.

247. Asked about the UK Government's Swimming Pool Support Fund, the Minister advised that the Scottish Government would receive approximately £6 million in consequential funding from implementation of the policy in England. The Minister indicated that this money would be included in the general allocation of the Scottish Government budget and was therefore unable to guarantee that these funds would necessarily be used for a similar purpose in Scotland. The Minister concluded:

     Just because it was spent on swimming and swimming pools in England does not necessarily mean that it will be spent on swimming and swimming pools in Scotland.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

254. As part of the current inquiry, as well as looking at barriers to participation in sport and physical activity faced by women and girls generally, the Committee wanted to look at intersecting barriers to participation faced by marginalised groups of girls and women such as those with a disability, those from the LGBTQ+ community, those from minority ethnic groups and different religious backgrounds and those facing socio-economic inequality.

255. To this end, the Committee's call for views asked a series of questions regarding the additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity faced by people from marginalised groups.

256. The Committee's call for evidence received evidence that women and girls with a disability face additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity. A lack of appropriate opportunities and facilities, inadequate equipment, and a lack of understanding of support needs were identified among the key barriers to participation facing women and girls with disabilities.

257. Evidence submitted to the inquiry indicates that female disabled athletes are likely to face additional barriers to participation in sport at an elite level. Respondents to the Committee's call for views expressed concern that the issues affecting participation in community sport for disabled people, such as inadequate facilities and a lack of understanding of support needs would also affect disabled athletes at an elite level.

258. The Committee heard evidence that discrimination , whether conscious or unconscious, creates a further barrier to participation in sport and physical activity for women and girls with disabilities. A lack of visibility of elite female athletes with disabilities was also highlighted as a barrier to participation.

259. Respondents felt that disabled women and girls faced additional barriers to participation in physical activities such as walking as a result of poorly designed and inaccessible infrastructure as well as potentially facing greater instances of harassment and abuse when participating in such activities in public places.

260. The Scottish Women's Convention pointed out that girls with disabilities already start to face additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity at school:

     ...current physical education is not facilitative of children with additional needs, or physical disability, instead those that fall within these categories are separated from their classmates. This can lead to a sense of isolation and does not encourage these young people to live healthy lifestyles.

261. During the Committee's evidence session on inequalities in female sport on 23 May 2023, Lynne Glen from Scottish Disability Sport emphasised the importance of listening to disabled women and girls who want to participate in sport and physical activity in order to understand their needs:

     We need to get to a place where we listen, hear the voices of young people and use more imagery and more explicit language around encouraging young females to participate in physical activity and sport. It is about working in partnership with other agencies to spread the word and encourage more young girls. That goes from the local level, with local authorities and trusts, to the governing bodies at the national level and other third sector partners, some of which are on this panel.

262. To overcome the additional barriers to participation faced by disabled women and girls, respondents to the call for views suggested there should be greater provision of accessible sports facilities, and training for coaches and teachers to help them understand the needs of people with disabilities. Some respondents also suggested raising the profile of elite female athletes with disabilities would provide role models that would inspire others to participate. The Committee heard evidence of the importance of explicitly including women and girls with disabilities in materials and imagery used to promote physical activity and sport. Lynne Glen from Scottish Disability Sport concluded: "if they do not see people like them or images of women with disabilities doing physical activity and playing sport, it is not relatable and they do not think that it is for them".Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

263. Lynne Glen also made the case for a collaborative, cross-sectoral approach to the inclusion of disabled women and girls in sport:

     I think that we need to work across sectors: we do not need to look at sport only but should include health, education, local authorities, trusts and third sector organisations. To achieve Scottish Disability Sport's vision of—to paraphrase—a welcoming and inclusive Scottish sporting society, we need to work across all sectors and we need education across them. We also need policy and strategy to back that up.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

264. A 2021 Observatory for Sport in Scotland report found that disabled people are more likely to participate in individual activities rather than team sports. This applies equally to those with long-term illnesses, visual impairment, and hearing loss. The report stated that improvements to social structures were necessary to improve participation in team activities among disabled people and those with health concerns, to enable them to benefit from the social interaction associated with team sports. In their written response to the Committee's call for views, Parkinson's UK Scotland suggested that providing more opportunities for women with Parkinson's to exercise together would be likely to encourage them to become more physically active by reducing their concerns about being judged when exercising alongside able-bodied participants. It would also create opportunities for group coaching by coaches who understand their condition.

265. The Committee also received evidence that, in comparison to their male counterparts, elite female disabled athletes are often under-represented. In the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, 25.2% of competitors were female which was a modest increase from 23.6% of female competitors who took part in the 2018 Games. Out of 46 countries, 16 delegations did not send any female athletes to compete in the 2022 Games at all. Certain respondents to the Committee's call for views made the case for the visibility of elite female disabled athletes to be improved as a way of breaking down barriers to participation by disabled women and girls at all levels. Robert Gordon University said:

     [There is] less visibility of elite athletes with disability. There are additional barriers faced by disabled athletes, including increased negative attitudes, the requirement to prove themselves as an athlete and misconceptions from spectators.

266. The benefits of participation in sport and physical activity for those experiencing mental health challenges were highlighted by a number of contributors to the inquiry. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) raised concerns that, despite these benefits, women and girls facing mental health difficulties were less likely to be physically active, due to factors including lack of confidence, a perceived lack of support, and fear of stigma and discrimination. SAMH also shared details of their leadership and mentorship programme, developed with Scottish Women in Sport, to tackle issues of self-confidence and lack of support as additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity for girls and women experiencing mental health challenges. The organisation also recommends that these barriers could be further addressed by providing training for professionals and volunteers working in sport to enable them to better support people experiencing mental health challenges.

267. The Committee heard evidence that SAMH's Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport encourages sporting organisations and governing bodies to express their commitment to removing barriers to taking part in sport for anyone with a mental health problem. Participating organisations are expected to commit to developing inclusive policies and practice, collaborating with other network members to share learning, and reflecting on their practices to celebrate their achievements and identify opportunities for improvement.

268. The Minister told the Committee she would be particularly keen to encourage greater participation in sport and physical activity by disabled people and to create additional opportunities for this to happen. The Minister highlighted a training course developed by sportscotland's young people's sports panel which seeks to challenge participants to consider adaptations that would encourage greater participation iin sport and physical activity by people with disabilities. The Minister further reflected:

     When I speak to people participating in sport who have disabilities, almost all of them talk about how challenging it was to get involved in school; they were told to sit at the side in PE classes. As those education sessions amply demonstrated, it is really easy to make adaptations that enable everybody to be included, and my plea is for every possible opportunity to encourage inclusion and participation to be taken.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

269. Respondents to the Committee's call for views discussed a variety of barriers affecting the participation of LGBTQ+ women and girls in sport. Some respondents felt that homophobia persists in sport at community and elite level, and can deter women and girls who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer from taking part in sport and physical activity. A majority of respondents (68.3%) to the BBC's 2020 Elite British Sportswomen's Survey said they felt that sportswomen could be more open about their sexuality than their male counterparts. Despite this comparatively welcoming culture, the Committee heard evidence that barriers to participation by lesbian and bisexual athletes still persist

270. LEAP Sports Scotland's written submission highlighted the value of participation in sport and physical activity for lesbian, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LBTI) women and girls, and expressed concern that enduring homophobia in sport may create persistent barriers to this:

     LBTI women have told us participating in community sport and physical activity often acts as a driver and vehicle for change. It is a way to get out of dark places, it provides a social space but it also gives women a sense of bodily autonomy alongside the physical benefits of staying active.

     …there is a general consensus among LBTI women that sport is less progressive than wider society, that sport has failed to move forward at the same pace as other aspects of public life. This has meant that homophobic 'banter', lesbian tropes and stereotypes; much of the homophobic sentiment often considered to a thing of the past, have endured within sport. This is an area which has seen some progress, however 'locker room banter' remains and is harmful to women and in particular LBTI women.

     During the Committee's evidence session Heidi Vistisen of LEAP Sports Scotland further addressed the impact of homophobia and negative stereotypes on the participation of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in sport and physical activity:

     We hear from women in the groups that we work with that they were not out when they were younger because they did not want to be branded a lesbian. They were worried that people would assume what their sexuality was or that it was because they had been turned: that if they joined their team knowing that there were lesbians in it, they would also become a lesbian. There are some clear barriers in the stereotypes that follow physically active women in that sense, and that does not just affect lesbians and bisexual women; it potentially also affects those who are on the teams of those women.

271. Heidi Vistisen also argued that the gendered distinction between sports clothing prescribed for men and women creates particular challenges for non-binary and trans people:

     I recommend that people should be able to wear what they want to wear. In particular, we should ensure that non-binary and trans people have something that they can feel comfortable wearing. They can be more likely to wear clothes that are baggy and they may not want to wear specific colours. It is really about having the flexibility to do all of that within different sports and settings.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

272. The Committee heard from people with a range of viewsⁱIt should be noted that the Committee’s call for views included no direct question about trans participation in female sport. Views on this topic were scattered across responses to each question by different respondents. Expressing concerns about the inclusion of trans women in female sporting environments did not necessarily mean that all respondents were altogether opposed to the notion. Further information about the methodology used in preparing the Committee’s call for views and analysing responses can be found in the introduction to this report.. Many individual respondents to the Committee's call for views expressed reservations regarding the inclusion of trans women in female sport and physical activity. Some respondents were concerned that the presence of trans women in female-only spaces may lead to some women feeling unsafe, and may affect some women from faith communities who hold beliefs regarding modesty. In their written response, LEAP Sports Scotland addressed the impact of this debate on trans women and their participation in sport:

     Transgender people face various barriers to access and continued participation in sport. These include bathrooms and changing facilities, policies, doping regulations, a general lack of an inclusive environment, being a strictly sex segregated environment, sexism and hegemonic masculinity, overt homophobia / transphobia, and poor or dated designs of sport facilities.

     Subsequently, research suggests that overall transgender people, especially transgender women, are less physically active and report lower social support and physical self-perception than their cisgender peers, alongside reporting feeling "less safe in school" and sports facilities.

273. sportscotland's written submission to the inquiry advised that, in 2021, five UK Sports Councils, including sportscotland, published updated guidance in relation to transgender participation in sport, which it said had "the aim of supporting sports in better understanding the needs and challenges involved in ensuring that everyone can take part." It continued:

     The guidance emphasised that we want sport to be a place where everyone can be themselves, where everyone can take part and where everyone is treated with kindness, dignity and respect. While our consultation found that there was widespread support for ensuring that sport was a welcoming place for everyone in society, including for transgender people, it also highlighted that there were concerns relating to safety and fairness in relation to transgender inclusion, particularly in female sport, and that there was no consensus on a single solution as to how this should be addressed. It was clear too that a wider range of solutions than those that are currently on offer needed to be identified so that everyone taking part could do so in a fair, safe and inclusive way.

274. Respondents to the Committee's call for views suggested that greater education for sports teams, coaches, and teachers regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people would help to address some barriers to participation. LEAP Sports Scotland also offered a number of suggestions for creating more inclusive sporting environments for LGBTQ+ people:

     Empower staff/ players to challenge incidents of discrimination in sport, both on and off the field. Having strong anti-discrimination policies that protect people from all backgrounds makes women feel safer and included. Allyship requires actions and deeds, not just words and flags. Supporting staff to do the proactive work and outreach within the wider community will allow more women from all backgrounds to take part in sport. This allyship can be as simple as having details on the website of what bathroom and changing facilities are available (gender, accessibility, childcare).

     The solutions that have been trialled and are the most effective are changing rooms that are accessible and provide privacy for its members. Changing villages that are family friendly, that contain cubicles, curtains and communal and single sex areas, allow space for everyone without the need to ostracise or to challenge individuals.

275. Sustrans Scotland noted anecdotal evidence indicating street harassment is also a particular concern among members of the LGBTQ+ community, but suggested more research is needed to gain a clearer understanding of LGBTQ+ people's perceptions and experiences of safety in public space.

276. Lynne Glen from Scottish Disability Sport felt there was a need to take a participant-centred approach and consider these issues through an intersectionality lens instead of simply looking at different protected characteristics individually. She concluded: "...we do not want to get into some kind of pecking order situation, or a bun fight over status, or whatever. We simply use our activity inclusion model."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

277. Responses to the call for views revealed that many women and girls from particular religious and cultural backgrounds face additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity, including experiences of racism and stereotyping, and being unable to participate in certain sports due to clothing rules. Glasgow Life/Glasgow Sport said:

     In general terms the intersection of identity features increases discrimination and barriers to participation. In sport this is particularly the case with regard race, ethnicity, gender, faith and belief. A number of research studies continue to identify Muslim women and girls as having amongst the lowest participation rates for sport and physical activity. In addition disabled women and girls experience multiple barriers, as do women and girls from the most economically disadvantaged and deprived communities. LGBT+ women and girls also experience additional barriers to participation as do trans people. Participation varies with age. It drops off during teenage years and for those over 45 years of age. Life stage factors, including caring responsibilities, impact directly on participation.

278. sportscotland's written submission shared the findings from a recent review into racism and racial inequality in sport, which found that women and girls from certain ethnic and religious backgrounds are deterred from participation in sport and physical activity by experiences of racism and stereotyping:

     Participants discussed negative stereotypes, how these had an impact on confidence and motivation from an early age, feeling that they didn't fit the expectations of their coaches and team leaders, how in school they were directed into sports that would "suit them", how they felt sexualised and objectified, how cultural expectations of communities and families compounded these experiences, how they experienced microaggressions, casual racism and sexism, how they were overlooked for team sports, and how the media's negative representation of women of colour across all sports reinforced a negative culture. Muslim women spoke of experiences of negative innuendos, micro aggressions and exclusionary practices.

279. Some respondents to the Committee's call for views expressed concerns that women and girls from ethnic minority communities are under-represented in elite sport and may face discrimination and disadvantage when participating.

280. Eilidh Doyle suggested that one underlying cause of this under-representation may be a lack of diversity amongst coaching staff:

     One limitation, however, is coaching, which, to be frank, is dominated by white, middle-class men. We also see a lot of that in the staffing. Things are getting slightly better, but young athletes from ethnic minorities come into teams and see no one in the staffing or coaching group to whom they can relate. That is probably one of the barriers with regard to staffing and coaching.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

281. In their written response, sportscotland emphasised the importance of viewing sport as a system and acknowledging that the barriers to participation of women and girls from marginalised groups in sport and physical activity at a community level also impact on their potential participation at an elite level.

282. Respondents noted that women of some faiths, including Islam and Orthodox Judaism, held beliefs concerning modesty that would prevent them from participating in mixed sex sport, or sharing mixed sex changing facilities.

283. Some respondents also felt that clothing rules associated with some sports, such as wearing revealing clothing or being forbidden to wear a hijab, would potentially prevent women and girls from some faiths from participating. Offering single sex activities and spaces and alternative clothing choices were suggested as potential solutions that would help to overcome these additional barriers to participation.

284. Priyanaz Chatterji, international cricketer highlighted the importance of offering greater freedom of choice, stating "Women and girls must have the choice to wear what they want, whether it be a crop top or long-sleeved top to run in, or a hijab."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

285. In its written evidence, Sustrans Scotland highlighted that women and girls from minority ethnic and religious communities equally face barriers to participation in physical activities such as walking and cycling:

     Research in England shows minority ethnic groups face specific barriers to take part in active travel. Lack of culturally accessible provisions, such as appropriate clothing, can also limit access to physical activity. Social perceptions also play a role in the low take up of walking and cycling. Having a car can be seen as a sign of success, meaning that active travel is seen as an activity for the ‘disadvantaged and poor’.

286. Responding to a question on racism in sport during the Committee's evidence session with elite female athletes, international cricketer Priyanaz Chatterji emphasised the need for long-term cultural change to overcome these barriers to participation:

     I do not think that there will be any quick fixes. There is a need to have processes in place, and part of the solution is simply having the right people who will act with integrity. Sometimes, acting with integrity means having difficult conversations. I guess that there also needs to be an accountability process or a way for people to challenge things if they do not think that that is happening. In addition, we need to try to encourage cultures in which people feel comfortable speaking up about things that are not acceptable or appropriate.

287. As part of its recent scrutiny of institutional racism in Scottish cricket, the Committee received a letter from campaign group Running Out Racism on 24 May 2023 which, beyond withholding funding to sports governing bodies, calls for sportscotland to be able to sanction sports governing bodies as a means of tackling racism and discrimination in sport.

288. During the Committee's evidence session on 23 May 2023, Robert Nesbitt of SAMH argued for greater use of co-design and co-production to overcome these barriers:

     One of the best solutions involved having community leaders and champions coming in to help to influence and shape our approaches. We must do much more of that kind of work, in which the co-design and co-production of projects involve people who recognise such barriers, so that we can find solutions that lead to participants being far more engaged.

289. Women in Sport suggested that Government should look for creative opportunities to encourage more girls and women from minority ethnic and religious communities to participate in sport and physical activity:

     As well as ensuring a robust legal framework exists to tackle discrimination, and that it is enforced, governments can consider how to use their resources to support efforts to help more marginalised women and girls into sport and activity. Initiatives like the culture, heritage and sport stream of the Welsh Government's Anti-racist Wales Action Plan show that there are creative ways to do this.

290. Socio-economic deprivation was acknowledged by many respondents to the Committee's call for views as a barrier to women and girls' participation in sport and physical activity. The cost of participation in sports clubs and activities such as gyms, a lack of availability of sporting facilities in deprived areas, the cost of sports equipment and the time commitment associated with participation in physical activities were all considered to have created barriers to participation for women and girls experiencing socio-economic disadvantages. In 2020, the Observatory for Sport in Scotland identified socio-economic deprivation as the main barrier to participation in sport in Scotland.

291. During the Committee's evidence session with the Young Women's Movement on 14 March 2023, Katie Heath outlined the scale of the challenge in this area:

     …we were shocked by how much someone's socioeconomic background impacts their ability to access sport. We assumed that there would be an impact, but 81 per cent of the people who responded to our survey indicated that that was a key barrier for them, which was disheartening. Although we thought that there would be an impact, we were surprised by how big it was.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 14 March 2023

292. Robert Nesbitt from SAMH highlighted three factors that are significant in relation to poverty as a barrier to participation in sport and physical activity:

     One was the lack of affordable childcare that was available at a time to enable women to engage in sport and physical activity. Another was the affordability of sports equipment and memberships for clubs and gyms, which was a big area. Transport—particularly its safety—was another factor...There is a correlation between poverty and those areas.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

293. The Young Women's Network Dumfries and Galloway noted that young women in rural communities may face additional barriers to participation in sport and physical activity as a result of costly or non-existent travel options:

     There are not many accessible sports groups for young women in our local communities. Because we are a rural local authority, so for many young women accessing physical activity either means significant travel or accessing from home. For those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis this is compounded by the cost of travel which isn't free for all. This only works if buses are regular and offer services at night when most gym classes / sports groups run, which in our area they are not.

294. Respondents to the call for views argued that people facing socio-economic deprivation would derive comparatively greater benefit from taking part in sport and physical activity than those in less disadvantaged circumstances. On this basis, they argued that investment should be targeted towards increased provision of opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity for people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, including women and girls.

295. The Fighting Chance Project, a judo club based in Dunfermline, which offers a programme to remove cost barriers in judo for young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds outlined the nature of cost-related barriers to participation in their sport, and shared details of their work to encourage participation in judo of girls experiencing socio-economic deprivation:

     The cost-of-living crisis is also clearly a barrier to participation. Many families need to balance household budgets along with the cost of judo suits, licenses, training, and grading fees. "We know that girls from poorer households and more deprived areas are less likely to walk into the dojo. But we also know that these are the children to which our sport can make the biggest difference."

     The Fighting Chance Project removes some of the barriers to starting judo. We have limited funds available to us and help the most financially needy. They will receive free membership to JudoScotland and free grading(s) up to yellow belt. To beat the Yellow Belt Challenge each candidate needs to attend regular judo sessions and commit to learning the skills needed to pass the JudoScotland syllabi for red and yellow belt grades.Fighting Chance Project written submission

296. The Committee heard evidence that socio-economic deprivation can also exacerbate other barriers to participation faced by women and girls from marginalised groups. According to a 2021 Observatory for Sport in Scotland report on disability and sport, socio-economic deprivation presents an additional barrier for disabled people who wish to take part in sport and physical activity. In their response to the Committee's call for views, Women in Sport highlighted the additional challenges faced by women and girls from ethnic minority groups who experience socio-economic deprivation:

     By comparing UK Government statistics on the activity rates of people from different ethnic groups with poverty rates for those same groups we can see that amongst some of the least active ethnic groups, poverty rates are particularly high, including Bangladeshi (53%), Pakistani (48%) and Black (40%), making it harder for girls and women in these groups to be involved in sport and physical activity. The cost-of-living crisis of course exacerbates issues like this.

297. Through this and other recent inquiries, the Committee has received evidence that socio-economic inequality disproportionately impacts women. The Women's Budget Group has described women as "the shock absorbers of poverty", often shielding children and other household members from the impact of financial difficulties by themselves choosing to go without food, clothing, or participation in leisure and recreation activities. As already addressed earlier in this report with respect to those with caring responsibilities more generally, many respondents to the Committee's call for evidence argued that, for socio-economically disadvantaged women with children, the cost of childcare will be a direct barrier to their participation in sport and physical activity, and that this barrier is likely to have been further exacerbated by the current spiralling cost-of-living.

298. The relative lack of financial support available for women and girls' community sports, particularly in deprived areas, was considered by respondents to the Committee's call for views to be an additional barrier to participation. The Committee learned that some clubs in deprived areas are attempting to address this issue by reducing fees as much as possible but that high fees charged by local authorities for the use of sports facilities make this increasingly unsustainable.

299. With regard to overcoming this challenge, one respondent suggested:

     Consider support or grants for those who are disadvantaged to enable them to access a range of different sports. Consider the demographic of each area. Has each area access to a range of sports?

300. Kirsty Garrett from Glasgow Life advised it has put in place concessions for individuals on universal credit, income support, jobseekers allowance, a pension or carers allowance. It also offers certain activities such as health walks for free and the majority of regular participants in these are female: "We have 54 health walks each week. They are run by volunteers. The majority—73 per cent—of the walkers are female, and 74 per cent of the volunteers are women."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

301. The Committee heard evidence that socio-economic disadvantages can impact upon female participation in sport at all levels, including limiting an aspiring elite athlete's ability to progress through professional pathways due to the costs of training, competition, and kit. The Fighting Chance Project, emphasised the importance of supporting people facing socio-economic disadvantages at all levels of sport:

     Additionally, the distinction between 'community' and 'elite' sport may itself pose a barrier to participation among girls and young women. Our coaches work with young women to achieve their Dan Grades (black belt) and compete at national level competitions, but we also work with girls and young women to work towards the positive outcomes (set out above) improving each individual's academic, relationships and general fitness, health and wellbeing.

302. Addressing the impact of socio-economic disadvantage on female participation in sport and physical activity, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport acknowledged a "pre-existing inequality in participation across the board". At the same time, she reiterated the Scottish Government's commitment to doubling the funding for sport and physical activity in this parliamentary term, and expressed a determination to focus this additional funding towards tackling inequalities.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report. 6 June 2023

303. The Minister suggested that nearly all sports are subject to a socio-economic divide that favours wealthier participants. The Minister told the Committee this is an issue the Scottish Government is raising with all sports governing bodies as breaking down socio-economic barriers to participation in sport and physical activity is integral to one of the Scottish Government's "core missions", namely tackling poverty, particularly child poverty. She concluded: "It is important that we do not lose sight of that whole-system approach."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report. 6 June 2023, but the Minister noted one of the basic things thatthe Scottish Government can do to help this inequality "is to encourage those sports where money does not matterand make things such as participation in the daily mile integral to the school day in Scotland."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report. 6 June 2023

304. The Minister suggested that the Scottish Government could also encourage participation in "those sports where money does not matter" and by making "things such as participation in the daily mile integral to the school day in Scotland."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report. 6 June 2023

305. Addressing the needs of girls and women facing intersecting barriers to participation in sport and physical activity, Glasgow Life/Glasgow Sport shared what they believe to be key factors in creating inclusive sport and physical activity opportunities, namely:

     • Providing access to training around gender and equalities issues to enable coaches to better understand attitudes, behaviours and discrimination

     • providing access to funding to specifically promote the recruitment and retention of female coaches, disabled coaches, BAME coaches and coaches from social and economically disadvantaged communities

     • building links between voluntary clubs and associations which encourages participants to expand their involvement to other clubs, attracting a new profile of members

     • developing programmes in partnership with voluntary and community organisations working with under-represented target groups

     • marketing materials which show positive role models.

306. In its written response to the Committee's call for views, sportscotland outlined the support it offers to club and community sport to encourage female participation:

     In club and community sport, we work with and invest in Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs) to support their clubs and community organisations to deliver participation activities. To ensure that SGBs are embedding equality, diversity and inclusion within their sports, considering all protected characteristics including sex, we support them to progress against the Equality Standard and implement the action plans that are developed through this. The Equality Standard for Sport was launched by the UK sports councils in November 2004 to help address the inequalities that exist within the sector. The Standard is owned by the 5 Sports Councils through the Sports Councils Equality Group (SCEG). A comprehensive review of the Equality Standard for Sport framework is currently being undertaken by SCEG to ensure it is progressive and fit for purpose. Independent consultants have been commissioned to conduct this review.

314. A lack of funding for women's and girls' sports, particularly in comparison to men's and boys' sports, was identified as an important barrier to female participation in elite sport by many respondents to the Committee's call for views. Respondents felt that female athletes were poorly compensated with regard to pay, sponsorship, and prize money. The LGB Alliance said:

     There is a relative lack of funding for women's and girls' elite sport, although this has improved in recent years. Promotion and sponsorship remain lower, and remuneration for female elite athletes is considerably less than for men. In large part, this is a result of sexist ideas about women's sport being inferior and less entertaining than men's sport. Despite the success of the England women's football team, the Lionesses, girls and women continue to experience attitudes regarding female sport as 'not as important' as male sport.

315. Respondents also highlighted that female athletes are often expected to pay their own transport costs to travel to competitions and training. The Committee heard evidence that this challenge particularly affects women and girls in rural areas, who often have to travel to the central belt for competitions. Funding for support such as physiotherapy and high-level training was also considered to be lacking in comparison to men's sport.

316. The inquiry also heard that, due to the lack of funding available, many female athletes have to hold full-time jobs, affecting their capacity to train and compete.

317. During the Committee's evidence session with elite female athletes on 18 April 2023, international cricketer Priyanaz Chatterji said:

     Cricket has largely been amateur for a long time. Things are slowly starting to change but, from what I have heard from other witnesses, I would say that we are probably still quite far behind. This month is the first time that any of the women have received contracts, which are part time—most of them are for one day a week. We obviously have to work in other jobs to support ourselves… I went part time at work to fit in my training, but that was at a cost to myself.

318. Of the 537 elite female athletes from 39 different sports who responded to the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020, 84% felt that sportswomen were not paid enough, and that the financial rewards offered were inadequate. 34.5% of respondents earned no money from sport, be that in terms of grants, funding, prize money, salary or sponsorships. A further 25.3% of respondents reported an annual pre-tax income from sport of less than £10,000, suggesting that, overall, a majority of respondents would not be in a position to make a living from sport alone.

319. The BBC's 2021 Prize Money in Sport study found that 83% of sports surveyed offer equal prize money to male and female competitors. However, it is also the case that, in some sports, there are fewer women's tournaments, and therefore fewer opportunities to win prize money. Research also indicates that female athletes have fewer opportunities to earn additional money through sponsorships and appearances.

320. The lack of sponsorship money in female elite sport was raised as a barrier to participation by retired Commonwealth Judo player Connie Ramsay who told the Committee:

     There is not really a sponsorship side to judo. If someone receives a medal at the Olympics or the worlds, they might get something but, apart from that, there is no sponsorship in judo. We do not ever hear about it or see it, which is quite scary when you consider the success of judo at the Rio Olympic games, where we got a bronze medal, and in London, where we won a bronze and a gold.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

321. The inquiry received evidence that some sporting teams and associations, such as the Football Association of Wales, have introduced equal pay structures for male and female players. In November 2022, Cricket Scotland announced plans to offer paid contracts to international women's team players, following its move in 2021 to pay equal match fees to men's and women's team players. In December 2022, the Scotland national women's football team launched an employment tribunal against the Scottish Football Association, seeking equal pay and conditions.

322. During oral evidence on 18 April 2023, the Committee heard evidence that the majority of funding for women's elite rugby and football is sourced from revenue generated by the men's game.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

323. Retired professional footballer Gemma Fay told the Committee that this creates an inherent challenge and inevitably puts the female sport in a precarious position:

     That is the balance that we have to strike. I would like us to get to a place where the women's side of the game can pay for itself. It does not have to make a profit, as long as it can pay for itself, so that it is not under threat if anything happens on the male side of the game...The male game is paid for by broadcasting, sponsorship and investors. We need to get broadcasters, sponsors and investors on the same page for the women's game.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

324. Gemma Fay argued that it would be beneficial for Scotland to explore following the example of the Women's Sport Trust in England which, as an independent body, has done a lot of work to explore the potential for growth in women's sport. She noted that no such body currently exists in Scotland.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

325. The inequality of development pathways between men and women was also raised by some respondents to the Committee's call for views as a further barrier to female participation at an elite level. Scottish Student Sport said:

     Unequal pathways into performance sports still exist, especially within male-dominated sports. From a young age, sports clubs treat young girls and boys differently from girls; kit, coaching, facility access & more.

326. Several respondents to the Committee's call for evidence suggested potential actions to improve long-term financial stability and career viability for elite female athletes. These included funding retired athletes to become coaches or mentors, and developing career pathways that would offer female athletes additional opportunities to bolster their income alongside participation in the sport itself, such as sports promotion and delivering talks in schools.

330. The Committee heard evidence that most equipment for women in elite sport is still developed to suit default male proportions and preferences. Lee Craigie, retired professional mountain bike racer suggested the overriding goal of advertising for women in her sport was around superficial appearance rather than the practical functionality of equipment and clothing with the effect that women would view an advertisement and conclude:

     "Oh, she looks good in that," and then go to an online shop where they can buy that item of clothing. If you look at what those brands are selling, you will see that they are selling bikes that are too big for us, equipment that we cannot use because it is unsuitable for our hands, and a range of clothing that is any colour between pink and purple.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

331. Giving evidence to the Committee, retired elite athlete Eilidh Doyle recalled that, historically, there has been pressure on female athletes to wear impractical, small and revealing outfits and that, while there have been improvements to the situation in recent years, these problems persist and have yet to be fully addressed. Eilidh noted:

     We need the people in the governing bodies and organisations to be aware that this is an issue. We need a safe space where we can talk about what we can wear, what the options are and how we can make everybody comfortable.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

333. A lack of understanding of the impact of periods on athletic performance and training at an elite level was raised by a number of respondents to the Committee's call for views. This concern was reflected in the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020, in which 59.8% of respondents said they felt their period affected their performance while 39.9% of respondents said they felt uncomfortable discussing their period with their coaches.

334. During the Committee's evidence session with a panel of elite sportswomen on 18 April 2023, Gemma Fay outlined the performance challenges associated with managing periods:

     ...we need to normalise talking about not just periods, but the impact that they have on sport and performance. I was a goalkeeper, so hand-eye co-ordination was very important. As I am sure that you will appreciate, when you are on your period, that sometimes goes out the window.

     …It is important to understand the impact that menstruation has on an elite female athlete's ability to perform their daily tasks. I know that we monitor that more now—we did some great work in rugby to collect data on that—but the data and research on female sports in general are really light.

335. Connie Ramsay highlighted the impact periods can have on younger female athletes aspiring to progress to the elite level of their sport:

     You need to look at the stage just before elite athlete, too, because that might be having an effect on why people are not pushing into the elite level. You might have a teenager competing at a high level, and then their period comes and it puts them right off. We train in white judo kits; it is a little bit different from what people have been saying about pinks and purples, but this is a very traditional sport. You have your jacket and your trousers, but everything is in white. As in cricket, it puts teenage girls off coming on to the mat.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

336. According to some respondents to the Committee's call for views, training programmes and competition schedules for elite athletes are often based on the "default male" approach. Many felt that better support could be provided to address the impact of the menstrual cycle upon elite athletes' ability to train and compete. More research into the impact of periods on training regimes and injury prevention, and education about periods for coaches working with elite female athletes, were identified by respondents as potential solutions to these challenges. Fair Play for Women said:

     The physical issues to be managed as a woman in sport, which do not affect men, such as managing the menstrual cycle, are poorly understood and receive little funding or research attention. Research has shown that some injuries occur more among women than men, or are more serious when they occur, e.g. concussion in rugby. The menstrual cycle also plays an important part. Some injuries occur more at certain times of the month, e.g. ACL tears, because ligaments are affected by variation of female hormones through the cycle.

337. In a written submission to the Committee, Dr Laura Forrest, Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, highlighted two key studies in this area which she has published. These studies highlighted both the impact that the menstrual cycle could have on performance and the need for better education on menstruation for coaches and elite athletes.

338. The Committee also heard evidence about the impact pregnancy can have on the careers of elite female athletes. During the Committee's evidence session on 18 April 2023, Gemma Fay called on sports governing bodies to provide the best possible support to female athletes who choose to have a family:

     We have only recently begun to talk about this issue within professional women's sport. Everyone is on a journey. If the governing body of a sport is not on that journey, too, why not? That is what it needs to do. The governing bodies on that journey should collaborate to ensure that they share best practice and support female athletes in allowing them to become the best athletes that they can be and, indeed, the best parents that they can be, if they choose to become parents during their sporting career.

339. Some respondents to the Committee's call for views felt that there was little provision in elite sport for pregnant and post-partum athletes. There was also a perception that elite female athletes were expected to retire following pregnancy and parenthood, forcing a choice between their career and parenthood. Fair Play for Women commented:

     Older female athletes have to decide whether to start a family, and whether their career must end as a result. There is no practical solution to this biological reality, but better funding options might help such athletes to both have a career and be a mother.

340. 25.5% of respondents to the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020 said that they felt supported by their club or governing body to have a baby and to continue to compete, and 34.3% stated that they had delayed starting a family due to their sporting career. Greater support for pregnant and post-partum athletes, including maternity leave and pay, and improved provision of childcare, were suggested by respondents as potential actions to address this issue.

341. At the same time, the Committee heard evidence of good practice such as work by Scottish Rugby to develop a policy on pregnancy, parenthood, adoption and egg storing. Meanwhile, the Committee also learned that UK Sport has started to put policies in place to support female athletes who are considering starting a family. Eilidh Doyle told the Committee:

     I had a baby in 2019. When I decided to get pregnant, I was still an athlete, and there was no policy in place at that time. Since then, UK Sport has put in place a policy that says an athlete who decides to start a family cannot be taken off funding—she will still get funding for another year. That is a big step.

342. The Committee also heard that New Zealand cricket is seen as the "gold standard" in this area, with its athletes being supported through a comprehensive four-year pregnancy and parenthood policy.

343. During oral evidence, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport noted:

     I have never before known a time in my life when elite athletes have talked openly about issues such as menstruation, contraception, pregnancy and sport or menopause and sport. It is really healthy that this debate is finally happening.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

347. Responding to the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020, 64.6% of elite female athletes reported experiencing sexism in their sport. Of those respondents, 75% said they had not reported the sexism they had experienced.

348. The sexual harassment experienced by some female athletes in elite sport was identified by some respondents to the Committee's call for views as a barrier to female participation in sport and physical activity at all levels. The Scottish Women's Convention said:

     Women have explained that the masculine culture surrounding elite sport is a major barrier to them. They have stated that the higher levels of sport have fewer girls and women due to poor retention at a young age, meaning they are more likely to be the sole woman within these classes. This can be off-putting, with some women experiencing loneliness and bullying. Women have explained that this culture can also be aggressive and misogynistic, with sexual harassment and assault not being uncommon. They also explained that the culture within elite sports is toxic, harnessing microaggressions, with some women likening it to rape culture. This issue is further worsened through a lack of clear regulation surrounding sexual harassment in elite sport, with women calling for change.

349. Some respondents referenced recent international reports of sexual misconduct and abuse committed by coaches against elite female athletes and called for action to protect women and girls in elite sport from such behaviour.

350. Women in Sport called for "the creation of an independent non-departmental body committed to tackling misconduct and abuse in sport":

     By introducing an independent body with expertise in the areas of safeguarding, welfare, and duty of care, with no conflicting interests, athletes, volunteers, coaches, and management would be able to have full faith that its findings would be fair and beyond reproach. In short taking this approach would make the sports sector safer for everyone involved and build back trust in the sector, not least amongst female athletes and parents.

354. Many respondents to the call for views felt that the perception of women's elite sport as second best, and the comparative lack of media coverage surrounding women's elite sports, contributed to an overall lack of available funding and sponsorship.

Sexism in the media

355. The inquiry received evidence that elite female athletes can also experience sexism from the media. The Council of Europe's report on Gender Equality in Sport and the Role of the Media found that female athletes are often portrayed in a "stereotyped, comical, sexualised, and sexist" manner in the media, and noted that this portrayal impacts negatively on female participation in sport. The Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board's 2019 Levelling the Playing Field report found that 22% of online news articles pertaining to women's sport contained what could be perceived as sexualised reporting or images. The report emphasised that sexualised reporting of female athletes devalues women's contributions to sport.

356. The sexist and sexualised portrayal of women's sport and female athletes in the media could have a negative impact on moment and girls more generally. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) said:

     Research published in 2019 by the Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board found the way that women in sport were publicly portrayed in the media – which was found to often reinforce gender norms and was often sexualised – had a negative effect on self-confidence and esteem. We support the recommendations made by the advisory group to tackle unhelpful media representation and increase women's participation. This includes increased media representation of women's sport and creating more gender balance in executive, management and non-executive (Board) roles across Scottish sport.

357. During oral evidence, Bobby Hain from STV told the Committee he did not recognise any description of the channel's output as stereotypical, sexualised or sexist.He went on to say:

     We carefully consider feedback and analysis, particularly of specifically Scottish output, whether it is ours or anyone else's...We have the Ofcom code, which is a very detailed set of responsibilities that apply to broadcasters generally, and to public service broadcasters in particular. We have a sense of impartiality and fairness that stems from that code and which also goes back to our values, as STV, over 60-plus years.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

Under-reporting and lack of coverage

358. The Committee received evidence that women's sport is commonly under-represented in the media. A 2018 Women in Sport study found that, across the UK, women and girls' sport accounted for 10% of all TV sports coverage during periods involving large international events such as the 2018 Euro football tournament. This declined to just 4% outside the window of these large tournaments. Similarly, coverage of women's sport in print media accounted for 12% of all sports coverage during large tournaments, declining to just 3% at other times. The report also found that coverage of women's sport is inconsistent, and drops considerably between large international events, making it difficult for audiences to follow women's sport on a regular basis. The report suggested that free-to-air channels such as the BBC have an important role to play in increasing visibility of women's elite sport, and that actively scheduling broadcasts of women's sport during gaps in the sporting calendar may help to improve visibility.

359. On a positive note, evidence suggests public interest in media coverage of women's elite sport has increased in recent years. A 2022 Women's Sport Trust report showed that 36.1 million people watched women's sport on TV between January-July 2022, an increase from 17.5 million during the equivalent period in 2021. Viewing time also increased, with audiences watching for an average of 403 minutes in January-July 2022, compared to 140 minutes during the same period in 2021.

360. However, the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020 found that although 93.4% of respondents felt that media coverage of women's sport had improved in the previous five years, 85.1% said that the media still does not do enough to promote women's sport, and 86.2% agreed that the media reports differently on men's and women's sports.

361. The view that women's elite sport is inadequately covered and reported by the media was supported by witnesses at the elite sport evidence session on 18 April 2023. Retired track and field athlete Eilidh Doyle, who is also a member of the board of directors of Scottish Athletics, told the Committee: "The coverage all happens in the two weeks that a championship is on and then athletics is forgotten about". Connie Ramsay, retired Commonwealth judo champion noted a similar situation with Judo, advising: "In the Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland got 13 out of 14 medals, and the coverage was pretty good. However, following that, there was nothing—that was the end of that."

362. In their written response to the Committee's call for views, Robert Gordon University suggested this lack of consistent coverage and visibility may act as a further barrier to women's participation at all levels:

     Often sports and competitions featuring male competitors dominate broadcasting and media channels. There has been an improvement nationally and internationally in the recognition of and appreciation for, and interest in, elite female sports, including in sports typically associated with men, including football and rugby. There does, however, remain a challenge in terms of accessibility to watching and celebrating the successes of many elite female athletes. As a consequence, females may not realise that there is a place for them within elite sport, which can, in turn, contribute to disengagement in sport at earlier stages.

363. One individual respondent to the Committee's call for views supported a widely expressed view that the comparative lack of coverage of women's sport deters young women and girls from participation in sport and physical activity:

     A huge issue is the representation of women's sport. Many television channels will show the male competitions like football and rugby. There are rarely female games on the big channels unless they are doing well (The Lionesses at the Euros for example). Young girls do not get encouraged to play sport the same way boys do and it is very obvious in the media.

Under-representation in sports reporting and broadcasting

364. The Committee heard evidence that female journalists are more likely to write about women's sport than their male counterparts. However, evidence also indicates that women remain under-represented in sports broadcasting and print media reporting. Women in Journalism Scotland's 2022 report 'The Sexist Shame of the Beautiful Game' found that, of the 95 permanent staff positions covering sports reporting in Scotland's print media, only three were held by women.

365. A 2018 Ofcom diversity report found that, while women delivered only 6% of BBC One's sports broadcasting, women outnumbered men in major presenting roles on BBC Two by almost 3:1 but that this was drawn from a pool of just three individuals: namely, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan, and Eilidh Barbour. The report expressed concern that the burden of female representation is apparently being shouldered by such a small number of individuals.

366. The National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) found that 14% of people applying for NCTJ-accredited sports journalism courses in 2022 were women. This figure represents an increase from 7% in 2021, but is still below the NCTJ's target of 25%. To encourage more applications from women, the NCTJ is currently campaigning to highlight the importance of gender equality in sports media.

367. We also heard evidence that it is not just female athletes who experience harassment and abuse but also other women working in sports, including sports journalists. 75% of women working in journalism who responded to a 2023 Women in Journalism survey reported that they had received threats to their safety online or in person in the course of their work. In addition, a quarter of respondents reported direct experience of sexual harassment or sexual violence during their work. Evidence suggests that, although this issue is not unique to sports journalism, the male-dominated nature of the sports reporting has meant that some female sports journalists and broadcasters receive unequal treatment and experience discrimination from colleagues and the public.

368. Surprisingly, when asked, witnesses from the media and broadcasting panel said they were unable to identify any specific barriers faced by women seeking to become sport journalists. Catherine Salmond from The Herald newspaper responded: "The problem is that when we advertise sports reporting jobs, very few women apply...very few females who wanted to be reporters ever wanted to go on the sports desk. To me, in my newsroom and on my sports team, the barriers are not there. I have an incredibly enthusiastic head of sport who is desperate for more women and is actively trying to seek them out, but they are just not coming. I therefore do not think that there are barriers."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

369. John McLennan from the Scottish Newspaper Society told the Committee he was similarly unable to point to any specific barriers to women who may wish to pursue a career in sports media or broadcasting but went on to acknowledge:

     ...it is true that sports desks in the print sector are dominated by men. That is still the case...Therefore, if someone who is already in the industry asks themselves where they want to go next and they look across the room and see a phalanx of blokes at the sports desk, that perhaps makes it a less attractive place...That apart...there are no barriers.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

370. At the same evidence session, Members of the Committee put it to witnesses that women considering a career in sports broadcasting might be deterred by the prospect of working in a male dominated environment with a particular associated culture. Catherine Salmond from The Herald did not support this view:

     It is clear that having a gruff, macho culture does not mean being mean to women and putting them off. A lot of women can hold their own quite comfortably among gruff, macho men, so it does not mean that they cannot see themselves having a job there. That point needs to be established. I really do not think that there are some weak female trainee journalists out there who are thinking, "I'd love to join there, but I am scared of all those men".Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

371. However, this viewpoint was challenged by Margaret Mary Murray from BBC Alba who suggested it wasn't necessarily helpful to refer to an environment of "gruffness" in sports journalism and that , to attract a more diverse range of reporting staff, media organisations should be striving to be supportive and inclusive in their approach .Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

Improving coverage and reporting of women's elite sport

372. Giving oral evidence to the Committee, Connie Ramsay pointed out the existence of TV programmes with titles such as "Sportscene", which seem to be almost exclusively dedicated to covering mens' football. Connie suggested TV coverage should be broadened out to offer highlights and results from a range of sports, including female sports, such as athletics, judo, mountain biking and cricket and that this would help to make these sports more visible.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report. 18 April 2023

373. Witnesses at the media and broadcasting session were asked about media coverage of women's elite sport, and whether broadcasters would be willing to broaden their TV offerings to include sports packages that would give viewers the opportunity to see women excelling in a variety of sports. Louise Thornton from BBC Scotland responded that the BBC "absolutely can" do this and is already offering such coverage via online streaming platforms which includes sports such as netball, judo, gymnastics and female boxing.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

374. During the same evidence session, the Committee heard evidence that broadcasters are keen to increase the visibility of women's sport on TV. At the same time, witnesses argued that this would require long-term commitment, a strategic approach and appropriate resourcing to be achieved. Louise Thornton from BBC Scotland advised:

     We have seen how women's sport has grown and flourished during the past decade, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we can offer big-moment, free-to-air coverage...The lesson for the BBC relates to the importance of free-to-air coverage and of having a listed system that is future-fit. We need long-term commitment, because being able to commit to coverage when growing an audience for certain sports is preferable to dipping in and out of things...Obviously, with the growth and success of sports comes an increased commercial cost for rights, so in some ways we are victims of our own success in relation to that.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

375. Lee Craigie from The Adventure Syndicate argued there was a need for greater diversity in media coverage to appeal to a broader cross-section of women and inspire more to get involved themselves:

     ...we need to address the issue of our commercial partnerships and ensure that those brands understand the importance and the power of diversity. Usually, there is a huge range of stuff for men and a small women's section. There needs to be a similar range for women, so that all different types of women can look at all the different ways of being in sport, particularly in male-dominated sports such as mountain biking, and say, "I belong in this space."Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 18 April 2023

376. Catherine Salmond from the Herald told the Committee that, in her view, women's sport does not have a big enough audience to "justify the volume of attention that we give to other sports". She suggested that, in this context, a degree of Government intervention was needed to improve the financial viability of covering women's sport over time:

     For that exposure to grow in order to allow the sporting world of female events to grow, we need a sustainable financial model. If I was to throw everything that I had into covering female sports, it still would not yield the financial returns for our business model...What would help would be a robust financial situation similar to the local democracy reporting scheme that we have in Scotland. That would involve some sort of support from the Government to fund reporters who cover female sports in order to allow the exposure to grow and to enable us to be in a commercially viable situation.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

377. On numerous occasions during the inquiry, the Committee has heard many witnesses describe a key barrier to female participation in sport and physical activity as being "you can't be what you can't see". This applies not just to increasing the visibility of women in sport but also to making sure a diverse group of women are visible. Many submissions to the inquiry emphasised the importance for all organisations, particularly media organisations, to have an inclusive culture and recruitment policy. The BBC, STV and ITV all told the Committee that they already have such a culture and policy in place.

Scottish Sport Media Summit

378. In order to "significantly improve and increase the visibility of women's sports, athletes and participants", the Scottish Government gave a specific commitment in its 2021-22 Programme for Government to create a Scottish Sport Media Summit as recommended by the Levelling the Playing Field report published by the Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board in 2019. . However, this event is yet to take place.

379. During oral evidence, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport acknowledged ongoing challenges with the reporting of female sport, including a lack of coverage for sports other than football. Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland at the Scottish Government suggested that print media was still particularly poor at covering female sport and went on to set out the planned timetable for the Scottish Sport Media Summit:

     ...because the column inches that women's sports get is not good enough. Often, the women's news stories do not focus on their sporting performance but on something in their private life—what they have been up to, who they are married to and that kind of thing. Shifting that dial is what we are looking to achieve through the media summit, which we hope to hold by the end of this year.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

384. The influence of social media in either empowering or deterring girls and young women from participating in sport and physical activity was reflected in a number of responses to the Committee's call for views. The submission from Public Health Scotland argued:

     A focus on body image created by social media can also make girls and young women feel worse about sport and physical activity. By placing an emphasis on the 'ideal body' or a specific look which is often unobtainable, image-based platforms depict that participation in physical activity is about physical appearance, seldom emphasising the benefits to health.

385. This was also a key theme in the YWL Committee's report. Their research showed that although most young women engage with fitness-related content, these accounts often make them feel worse about sport and physical activity because they present the ideal of a specific look that is not always healthy, safe, or obtainable.

386. During the Committee's meeting on 14 March 2023, Katie Heath of the Young Women's Movement underlined the importance of positive role models on social media:

     It is really important for women to have role models who are accessible to them, especially in social media, but it is also important that they are not being sold ideas that are completely unattainable, for example really controlled ideas around eating or exercise. Exercise should be portrayed as something that is positive, and not as a punishment or a way of changing your body. The messaging is really important. There is such a great role for people who are doing that positively, and there are many wonderful examples of that.

387. Jenni Snell of the Young Women's Movement also noted an increase in misogynistic social media content directed towards women and girls who participate in sport:

     …we are seeing an increase in misogynistic content on social media. There is a bit of a backlash against young women and girls who are participating in sport, and a lot of potential role models for young women and girls are being targeted by online misogyny and toxic behaviours.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 14 March 2023

388. A number of respondents to the Committee's call for views pointed out that elite female athletes receive disproportionate levels of online and social media abuse. A 2022 study by World Athletics found that during the 2022 World Athletics Championships, female athletes were the targets of 60% of social media abuse directed towards competitors, and that most of the abuse was sexist in nature. 29.9% of athletes surveyed by the BBC's Elite British Sportswomen's Survey 2020 had experience of being targeted by social media trolling.

389. Louise Thornton from BBC Scotland suggested that social media can be a particularly misogynistic environment - with certain platforms being worse than others and women often facing treatment on social media that men simply do not experience. Louise emphasised that BBC Scotland has a duty of care to its staff and that this will typically begin with a conversation around the potential ramifications of posting things on social media. Louise noted:

     We also monitor our output and take action. We will block people, ban people and remove people from our platforms if they break social media guidelines. We were part of a campaign, in partnership with Sky, called "Hate won't win," which was all about supporting female talent in the sports world. It is sad that we have to do that, but it is a matter of fact that we do.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 25 April 2023

390. In addition to the impact of social media abuse on current elite female athletes, some respondents to the Committee's call for views expressed concerns that aspiring young female athletes could be deterred from pursuing a career in sport after witnessing this online abuse. The Committee understands that organisations such as the BBC have reporting and monitoring processes in place for online comments that are intended to identify and remove abusive content.

391. Many respondents to the Committee's call for evidence said they believed sporting bodies should step in to support female athletes facing online abuse and should be doing more to put pressure on social media companies to prevent this abuse. As a potential solution, one respondent suggested introducing fines for social media platforms who fail to address abuse. The Committee learned that, during the Women's Euro 2022 football tournament and as part of a wider Respect programme to address online abuse in football, UEFA introduced a platform to monitor and report online abuse and track whether abusive posts were removed from social media after being reported.

392. During oral evidence, Rona Blackwood from the Children's Parliament argued that social media has the potential to be used as a force for good, as distinct from a force for bad. In this context, she felt the focus should be on positive story telling, positive apps and positive messaging around physical activity and sport and body image, with the aim of increasing girls' confidence.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 28 March 2023

393. In their 2022 Gender Equality in Education and Learning report, the Children's Parliament highlighted the potential positive role of social media influencers in raising awareness of gender inequality among young people. One female pupil suggested famous influencers should be incentivised to "spread the word that this isn't ok."

394. A group of male pupils who contributed to the 2022 report agreed that boys would be more likely to listen to influencers and celebrities about sexism, particularly if the topic was discussed by male celebrities who are respected by boys and young men.

395. In their report, the YWL Committee expressed support for implementation of the Scottish Government's Advisory Group on Healthy Body Image recommendations, which include addressing body image related concerns regarding health and fitness in future public information campaigns. The Committee also recommended that the Scottish Government consider how it can work with the UK Government to develop and issue new codes of practice to social media companies as part if its strategy for addressing Online Harms.

396. The UK Online Safety Bill is described by the UK Government as "a new set of laws to protect children and adults online". The intention behind the Bill is to "make social media companies more responsible for their users' safety on their platforms". Under the terms of the Bill, the regulator Ofcom will be given responsibility for checking that platforms have processes in place to protect internet users from harm and how effective these processes are. In particular, the Bill will make social media companies legally responsible for keeping children and young people safe online. It also seeks to protect adults by requiring social media companies to introduce measures to prevent their services being used for illegal activity and to remove any illegal content as well as any content that is banned by their own terms and conditions. Once it becomes law, the legislation will apply throughout the United Kingdom.

400. A common theme of a lot of the evidence submitted to the inquiry relates to the importance of research and evaluation in measuring the impact and effectiveness of different policy interventions to address barriers to female participation in sport and physical activity. The Committee heard that a lack of research means there is currently a lack of accurate data on rates of participation across different demographic groups and this in turn makes it more difficult to identify the precise nature and extent of barriers to participation and to what extent particular actions are effective in breaking down those barriers.

401. The Committee received evidence from the Observatory for Sport in Scotland (OSS) that sports in Scotland currently rely heavily on UK research carried out by Sport England and England-based research organisations, many with a primary or exclusive focus on England. To address this, the OSS recommends:

     ...that the Scottish Government commissions new independent research using Scottish organisations and involving key stakeholders at national and local levels in Scotland to shape an up-to-date, informed and accurate Scottish picture. This would create solid foundations for improved understanding and wider evaluation and monitoring of modern trends, changing demand and Covid impact, and inform nationwide interventions to increase girls' and women's sport participation sustainably in the 21st Century. Specifically, there is a requirement to launch a survey of the Scottish population (credible cross-sectional cohort size) to understand the full extent of participation levels both as club members and casual participants, across ages and gender as well as socioeconomic backgrounds, disability, ethnic minorities and other inequalities.Observatory for Sport in Scotland written submission

402. In relation to elite sport, the Committee heard evidence that, currently, only 6 per cent of sports science research is done exclusively on females. Baz Moffat from the Well HQ told the Committee:

     The 6 per cent of research that is done exclusively on females, which covers everything to do with females—pelvic health, breast support, hormones, all the life stages that we go through and our injury risk—is a really small amount of research from which we can start doing stuff, but we are not even addressing that research at the moment. We are not even using the research that we have. Therefore, we could do a huge amount.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

403. During oral evidence with sport and public health organisations on 30 May 2023 the Committee heard that where advice and research does exist, it is being done in isolation and lacks an integrated approach. Maureen McGonigle from Scottish Women in Sport suggested: "We need to look at how we can pull those things together so that everyone can benefit from the knowledge that is gained."

404. The Committee also heard evidence that this lack of data and research creates challenges in addressing the needs of women and girls facing other, intersecting barriers to participation in sport and physical activity. Heidi Vistisen from LEAP Sports noted there is no centralised system that shows how many athletes or participants have a mental health impairment, who might be LGBTIQ or who might have a physical disability. She suggested this means current rates of participation in individual sports remain unknown.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

405. The Committee heard similar evidence of a failure to systematically capture data on rates of participation amongst women and girls from different ethnicities, making it difficult to target policy interventions effectively to tackle barriers to participation amongst different minority ethnic and religious communities. South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture provided evidence of a varied picture related to the collection of data in this area:

     In a number of health intervention programmes that are co-produced by health and social care, we have everything from which Scottish index of multiple deprivation zone people are in right through to their protected characteristics and so on....with casual users of the gym or swimming pool—we will not have that information. Any approach in that respect would be based on the pretty simplistic theme of removing barriers to access, which would mean that, as a result, you would not be asking reams of questions—not even the most basic health questions, never mind anything on diversity. We therefore do not have that breakdown for our entire estate.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 21 March 2023

406. Meanwhile, Ewelina Chin told the Committee that, alongside other key indicators, her organisation, HTAR Scotland, has processes in place for the systematic collection of data on ethnicity:

     Gathering basic information is key for providing the right response. An intake assessment process is part of our work. Through that, we gather basic information to provide a safe service. Getting to know someone's ethnicity is an integral part of a trauma-sensitive and person-centred approach. Not only does the intake assessment give us information about family status, social inclusion and ethnicity but it identifies individual needs.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 23 May 2023

407. Ailsa Wyllie from sportscotland also told the Committee that her organisation collects data on ethnicity through its Active Schools programme and regular surveys of sports governing bodies. Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland at the Scottish Government confirmed this to be the case, concluding: "Sportscotland collects a lot of good information, particularly around its major programmes such as the active schools programme".Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

408. Andrew Sinclair also advised that, as part of national governing structures, Active Scotland has a data and evidence group comprising BAME partners from across Scotland. When asked whether collated data would be centralised to enable others to research and interrogate it, the Minister responded:

     We will certainly be able to interrogate it to an extent with the individual sports governing bodies. However, as I said, it is a challenging area in which to coalesce all that data and to draw conclusions, because there are so many individual aspects to the sport and to the ethnicity. It is really important that we do not make assumptions, but I am absolutely open to conversations about how we improve BAME participation.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

409. During the Committee's evidence session with representatives of sports governing bodies and other high-level organisations on 30 May 2023, witnesses discussed measures that might be taken to improve evaluation of policy and funding interventions to increase participation in sport and physical activity. In response, Kim Atkinson of The SSA advocated the introduction of a new National Outcome related to sport and physical activity, which includes acknowledgement of the associated mental health benefits. Scotland's National Performance Framework will shortly undergo its next five-year review, including scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament. Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 30 May 2023The Scottish Government recently held a public consultation seeking views on the current and potential future National Outcomes, which closed on 5 June 2023.

410. When asked if the Scottish Government would consider introducing a specific outcome for sport and physical activity as part of the National Performance Framework, Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland at the Scottish Government replied:

     Physical activity features in the NPF, which talks about being healthy and active. Therefore, I feel that we are quite well represented in that space. We also have the active Scotland outcomes framework, which sits below that and which talks about our whole-systems approach to physical activity and how we implement things in Scotland. Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report, 6 June 2023

9th meeting (Session 6), 14 March 2023

4. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Katie Heath and Jenni Snell, Young Women Lead Committee, The Young Women's Movement.

6. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 4.

10th meeting (Session 6), 21 March 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Kate Joester, Policy and Influencing Coordinator Scotland, Living Streets Scotland;

• Cecilia Oram, Head of Behaviour Change, Sustrans Scotland;

• Patrick Murphy, Senior Manager, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture;

• Kirsty Garrett, Sports Development and Physical Activity Manager, Glasgow Life; and

• Euan Lowe, Chief Executive, Scottish Swimming.

7. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

12th meeting (Session 6), 28 March 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Dr Mairi Stark, Scottish Officer, Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health;

• Rona Blackwood, Head of Programmes, Children's Parliament; and

• Eilidh Paterson, Inclusion & Culture Development Coordinator, Scottish Student Sport.

6. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

13th meeting (Session 6), 18 April 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Priyanaz Chatterji, International cricketer;

• Lee Craigie, Retired professional mountain bike racer and Director, The Adventure Syndicate;

• Eilidh Doyle, Retired track and field athlete and Board of Directors, Scottish Athletics;

• Gemma Fay, Retired international footballer; and

• Connie Ramsay, Retired Commonwealth judo champion.

5. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

14th meeting (Session 6), 25 April 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Bobby Hain, Managing Director of Broadcasting, STV;

• Catherine Houlihan, Managing Editor, ITV Borders;

• John McLellan, Director, Scottish Newspaper Society;

• Margaret Mary Murray, Head of BBC Gaelic Language Services and Inclusion and Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland;

• Catherine Salmond, Editor, The Herald.

4. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

18th meeting (Session 6), 23 May 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Robert Nesbitt, Head of Physical Activity and Sport, SAMH;

• Heidi Vistisen, Policy Manager, LEAP Sports Scotland;

• Ewelina Chin, CEO, HSTAR Scotland, representing BEMIS;

• Lynne Glen, Pathways Manager, Scottish Disability Sport;

• Baz Moffat, CEO and Co-founder, The Well HQ.

5. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

19th meeting (Session 6), 30 May 2023

2. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—

• Kim Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Sports Association;

• David Ferguson, Chief Executive, Observatory for Sport in Scotland;

• Flora Jackson, Health Improvement Manager, Public Health Scotland;

• Maureen McGonigle, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Women in Sport; and

• Ailsa Wyllie, Lead Manager, sportscotland.

5. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 2.

20th meeting (Session 6), 6 June 2023

3. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee took evidence from—Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and Andrew Sinclair, Head of Active Scotland, Scottish Government.

5. Inquiry into female participation in sport and physical activity:

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 3.

• 14 March 2023 - evidence from the Young Women's Movement

• 21 March 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 28 March 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 18 April 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 25 April 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 23 May 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 30 May 2023 - evidence from stakeholders

• 6 June 2023 - evidence from the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport