Westminster Insight - Women and Girls in Sport Conference: Speech by Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock delivered the keynote speech at the Westminster Insight - Women and Girls in Sport Conference.

"Thank you all for being here and inviting me to speak to you today. I am sorry I can't be with you in person. 

I want to talk to you today about the remarkable growth of women's sport that we have witnessed in recent years, and what the Government is doing to build on this momentum. 

I would like to begin by sharing some statistics. In 2024, UK Women's Sport attracted audiences of over 44.17 million, an increase of nearly 40% in just two years. Over 2.6 million people attended a women's sport event in person in 2023, an increase of 23% from the previous year.

Globally, Deloitte predicts that revenue generated by women's elite sports will reach at least $2.35 billion, or £1.8 billion, in 2025, with revenues predicted to have risen by 240% in 4 years. 

This is, of course, good news for economic growth and for those playing women's elite sport. But most importantly the impact that it will have on women and girls across the country will be profound. 

Inspiring women and girls across the country to take part in sport is hugely important to me as Sports Minister.

Girls need to know from a young age that they belong in sport.  That is why we want to review and shape our education system to inspire girls from an early age to get active and build a lifelong love and affinity for sport.  

To achieve this goal, Government is driving progress across women's sport: from investing in grassroots facilities to supporting national campaigns.

It also means action on the elite end of sport, from hosting major events to supporting action to professionalise women's sport. 

Bringing all of these elements together is our strategy for women and girl's sport. Let me take you through each of those in turn.

Firstly, we want more women and girls than ever to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy.

In order to do this, we need to keep evolving and challenging the way we think of women in sporting environments in order to understand what challenges and motivates them.  

Sport England campaigns like This Girl Can has inspired nearly 4 million women to get active and 8 out of 10 women say that the campaign has boosted their confidence.    

We want women to have options and variety available to them within their local area.  

Getting this right starts with inclusion. Statistics show that for women on lower incomes from under-represented groups, the challenges and feelings of not being included are even greater.  

When we support women's sport, we will support women and girls right across our communities - not just elite athletes however important they are

Secondly, we know that in order to reach women and girls from all walks of life, equal access to high quality PE and school sports has a fundamental role to play. 

I have seen first hand the value of school sports in my own constituency in Barnsley South. It was great to visit High View Primary Centre Centre in Wombwell a few weeks ago to watch the FA's annual Biggest Ever Football Session, and I have enjoyed seeing the impact that events such as the Daily Mile can have on local children across Barnsley. 

So, through our expert-led review of the curriculum, we are going to ensure that every child has the opportunity to engage in a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.  I've been working closely with the Minister for Schools and with National Governing Bodies across a range of issues, and we are committed to ensuring that all children can access high-quality sport and physical activity across the school day. 

We also know that access to facilities, player welfare standards and suitable kit and equipment are all key parts of ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to excel.

On 21 March, we announced an investment of £100 million to fund grassroots facilities throughout the UK. £98 million of this will support projects in 2025/26. 

This funding will support more women and girls to take part in the sports that they love, particularly by ensuring that funded sites across the UK provide priority slots for women and girls. Beyond this, in England there is funding specifically targeted at creating female-friendly facilities off the pitch, including changing rooms and toilets. 

As well as focusing on getting women and girls active at a grassroots level, progress in women's sport requires a healthy professional system to fund participation and to create inspirational role models.

This is why I am acting on the recommendations of Karen Carney's independent Review of Women's Football starting with a series of in depth discussions on the recommendations, and led by a taskforce I have convened to drive this forward.

We want Karen's excellent Review to lead to tangible change in women's football, acting as a wider blueprint for all of women's sport.

Our work is already making a difference: we the Taskforce recently agreed on a series of concrete actions to improve player welfare in women's football. 

I also want to address one of the major issues identified by Karen in the Review, which is the lack of research.  Only 6% of all sports science research today is dedicated solely to female athletes. Obviously this imbalance is a global challenge but I believe the UK is well positioned to take the lead in addressing, building on our reputation for world class research. This Government is determined to ensure that our sport science research continues to be world leading and tailored to the needs of our athletes.

On a recent visit to Loughborough University's Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub, I saw first hand ground breaking innovation which will shape the future of women's sport. 

This includes development in areas such as the menstrual cycle, the design of pregnancy and postpartum sportswear, sports nutrition, and innovation in sports bras.

This vital work will help us accelerate the progress we have already made and ensure that research into women's sport is tailored to female athletes.

Finally, progress in women's sport also means increasing visibility and inspiring a nation, by showcasing what our world leading female athletes can do.

We know women and girls across the country are inspired by female role models.

This summer, some fans will be watching the Lionesses on TV with their family, while others will be at the Women's Rugby World Cup across England enjoying the atmosphere. Many more will be watching their favourite local teams and athletes from their home town.

We want everyone to join us in marvelling at the incredible talent we have here in the UK.  We want to create the best women's leagues in the world and we want to lead the way in helping women's sport  to stand the test of time and be financially sustainable.

This will mean that a girl growing up in my area of Barnsley will be able to watch us host major events like the Women's Rugby World Cup, the Women's T20 World Cup and the Tour de France Femmes, and be able to recreate moments with their friends at school.

With our incredible track record for hosting these kinds of events, I know that they are going to be huge success stories that inspire everyone watching women's sport right across the globe. 

We are also working hard to support the FA's bid for the 2035 Women's World Cup, a tournament with the potential to inspire yet another generation of women's football fans.

This is how we lead the way in women's sport and create lasting legacies for generations to come.

Before I end today, I want to directly address last week's Supreme Court ruling, which I am sure is on the minds of many of you attending today. As a Government we have always been clear that when it comes to women's sport, biology matters and we will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion. Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow - and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.

As I finish speaking to you today, I recognise that we still have challenges to overcome when it comes to women's sport. However, the future is also one of huge opportunities to drive women's sport forward. 

Progress in women's sport requires a clear vision.  From young girls learning about sport and movement in school through PE, to teenagers accessing facilities built with women and girls in mind, to adults having the right knowledge, kit and environment, to excel we want to support women and girls at every stage of their lives.  

We want women and girls across the UK to watch global events hosted at home, to be inspired by their role models and to have the opportunity to dream big.  Every girl deserves that chance.

And to enable this, this Government is committed to improving access to sport in schools, to making provision of facilities more equal, to improving research, driving visibility and investing in women's sport at every level.

It is not enough to focus on one aspect alone.  We must drive progress across all of these areas as part of one cohesive women's sport strategy.  

I look forward to working with you all to ensure all women and girls have the opportunities they deserve.

Thank you."