Fair Play for Girls

Clark, H., Griggs, G., Cooke, K., Day-Garner, J., Clapperton, S., Whewell, E., King, V., Eddy, J., Brown, F., Balcar, M., Fitzgerald, D., Lowther, J., Howells, K., Edwards, L., Murray, A., Murray, Pamela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8009-6900, Williams, R., Royal, P. and Robillard Webb, L. (2024) Fair Play for Girls. Technical Report. The Cross-Party Group for a Fit and Healthy Childhood, Carradale East.

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Abstract

‘Women’s sport has proven that it has the power to inspire people and positively impact lives.’ Holly Murdoch, FA Head of Operations for the Women’s Professional Games, 30 October 2023.
On 23 December 2023, the UK Government backed the recommendations of former England and Great Britain professional footballer, Karen Carney in her
independent review into the future of domestic women’s football. Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer pledged:
‘We are completely committed to delivering equal access to sport for girls in schools, alongside an unprecedented £400 million investment in grassroots
facilities outside of school.’2023 ended on a high when Mary Earps’ victory as the BBC Sports Personality of
the Year notched up a consecutive hat trick in the history of the award, showing that far from ‘bottling it’ women’s football and indeed, sport for women and girls was ‘kicking on’ with confidence. The future seemed bright indeed ---- but was that the whole story?
What cannot be denied is that the history of girls’ sport bears testimony to the resilience, progress and sheer determination of female athletes throughout the world. From overcoming societal barriers to achieving unprecedented success, girls’ sports have evolved into a powerful force for empowerment, equality and social change. However, this is set against a persistent backdrop of unequal provision and reward compared to what men and boys are accustomed to expect as their due. Gender inequality, limited resources and unequal pay continue to be reserved for the girls and in communities, schools and playgrounds in the UK’s cities, towns and villages, the experience of many of them is woeful. Too often (and especially in their teenage years) girls are deterred from physical activity and denied opportunities that might encourage them to make dreams of a sporting career a reality – or simply to see sport as an integral component of their daily lives. The Lionesses have made huge strides in smashing the barriers of prejudice and inequality and their determination to challenge stereotypes is not for themselves alone but on behalf of the generations of young women who will succeed them. They are trailblazers but they are also women and participation in elite sport is as helpful as a lifebelt in a tsunami in the face of misogyny.

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