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European Women’s Football Championship: Girls and Young Women
09 November 2022
Lead MP
Munira Wilson
Twickenham
Lib Dem
Responding Minister
Stuart Andrew
Tags
Northern Ireland
Word Count: 9743
Other Contributors: 5
At a Glance
Munira Wilson raised concerns about european women’s football championship: girls and young women in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The government should ensure all schools provide two hours of PE per week for girls. The Minister is urged to work constructively with the Department for Education on this issue. He should press his colleagues to continue funding the sport premium in schools and include PE in the Ofsted inspection framework. A moratorium on selling off school playing fields is also requested.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The Lionesses' success in the European championships has inspired millions of people, but only 63% of schools offer equal access to football during PE lessons. The Youth Sport Trust found that by age seven, girls are a year behind boys on physical literacy. Over 42,000 hours of PE have been lost over the past decade due to curriculum squeezing, impacting girls more than boys. Moreover, 100 school sports fields have been sold off in the last seven years, affecting over 75,000 pupils and potentially barring them from a full range of outdoor sports.
Pontypridd
The MP celebrated the success of England's women's football team and highlighted the importance of creating a lasting legacy for women's sport. She pointed out that despite record attendance at the Euros, the government has failed to build on previous sporting successes, such as the 2012 Olympics. Davies-Jones called for an equal access guarantee in schools' curriculum to ensure girls have the opportunity to try football and asked the Minister to adopt this policy.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
Agreed with the lead MP that there needs to be parity in terms of salaries and sponsorship for women's football, without aping the men's game. Welcomed the Minister's commitment to invest £230 million to build or improve up to 8,000 sports pitches across the UK.
Hannah Bardell
SNP
Livingston
For many decades, national players for Scotland and England's women's teams have had to do other day jobs while their male counterparts were paid large sums to play professionally. The Member agrees that we need greater coverage in the media, and greater sponsorship and support for the women's game so that female players can enjoy some of the riches that the male players enjoy. Men and boys are our allies in the challenge of equality, agreeing that speaking up for women's sport is crucial. The FA has historically imposed challenging rules on mixed-gender play which should be broken down. Discussed the importance of women's football and highlighted inclusivity for minority groups. Emphasized historical contributions, modern challenges, and personal experiences playing in Scotland. Praised the success of the Lionesses and called for cross-parliamentary support to emulate England's achievements across all home nations. Bardell thanked the Minister for raising concerns about LGBT fan treatment at the World cup, stressing the need to lobby against such governance in future international competitions.
James Sunderland
Con
Bracknell
Praised the success of women's football in the UK, highlighting statistics such as 70,000 people at Old Trafford for England's UEFA Euro 2022 opener and a record 78,000 fans at Wembley. Noted that funding still lags behind men's football but is growing rapidly with clubs reporting year-on-year commercial revenue growth of 33%. Emphasized the importance of grassroots development to ensure girls continue playing sports into adulthood.
Margaret Ferrier
SNP
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Only 63% of young girls have football offered as part of physical education in school, and football continues to largely be seen as a sport for men and boys. The Member believes this cultural change should start at a young age to drive passion for the sport among girls and young women. Women's football has a longer history than people might think, with church documents reportedly referring to women playing football in South Lanarkshire back in 1628. The Member agrees that women's contributions to football over the centuries should be recognised more frequently to inspire girls and young women.
Government Response
Stuart Andrew
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I thank and congratulate the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for securing this important debate. Let me say at the outset that I have made this issue a huge priority for me in this role. I am passionate about making sure that all sports are inclusive... The Lionesses' fantastic performance at the 2022 women's Euros has truly inspired the nation, and it is great to see that confirmed by the recent figures published by UEFA in its post-tournament flash report. For example, more than half of local residents and two in five spectators and tournament volunteers have been inspired to do more sport and physical activity generally, and 84% of those participating in UEFA's women's Euro 2022 legacy activities report that doing so has improved their confidence and self-esteem. We want to build on the momentum that the tournament has created to ensure that every woman and every girl has the opportunity to take part in football if that is what they want to do, and—more importantly—to get active in any way that suits them personally. Our £230 million grassroots investment will be key to achieving that.
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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.