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Women’s Elite Sport: Prize Money
26 April 2022
Lead MP
Julie Elliott
Sunderland Central
Lab
Responding Minister
Nigel Huddleston
Tags
TaxationCulture, Media & Sport
Word Count: 3524
Other Contributors: 1
At a Glance
Julie Elliott raised concerns about women’s elite sport: prize money in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Elliott asks the Minister what plans he has to work with governing bodies towards a fairer distribution of prize money in women's sport and how he will continue the growth seen in women's sport over the last decade.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Julie Elliott is concerned about the disparity in prize money awarded to women compared to men in elite sports, noting significant differences such as £335 million for the men's European championship versus £13.4 million for the women's European championship. She highlighted that some female athletes struggle to sustain their sport full-time due to lower prize money and lack of commercial revenue, despite recent progress.
Peter Dowd
Lab
Bootle
Does my hon. Friend agree that financial support for young women's teams sets the scene for later years, feeding into the issue of inequity, and that funding for young women's and girls' football teams is crucial to setting the cultural scene?
Government Response
Nigel Huddleston
Government Response
I thank the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott) for securing time for this important debate on women's elite sport prize money. I agree with her that it is vital to recognise and pay equally for achievements in men's and women's sports, highlighting progress such as the FA increasing prize money for the winners of the women's FA cup from next season and professional female footballers gaining maternity and long-term sickness cover. However, there remains a significant disparity; UEFA's 2021 Euro 2022 women's competition has a €16 million pot compared to €371 million for men's Euros. I am committed to improving visibility and commercial investment in women's sports through meetings of the women's sport working group with key sector partners. In May 2021, we added the FIFA women's World cup and UEFA women's European championships to the listed events regime, ensuring wider audience reach. We have seen positive steps like record sponsorship deals and innovative broadcasting partnerships but more action is needed for greater equality and inclusivity in sport.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.