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Sports: Women

Asked by Jim ShannonDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 19 May 2026UIN 68

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve participation in sport among women and girls.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and girls as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year to help people get active.

Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme, Impact ‘25, which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

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