Recommendations & Conclusions
7 items
2
Conclusion
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
Key anxieties for girls include concerns around periods, yet education on the menstrual cycle, despite being mandatory, is only being delivered in half of schools. It is shocking that around 50% of schools are disregarding a vital, and mandatory, element of the curriculum. Where it is being delivered, in most …
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Key anxieties for girls include concerns around periods, yet education on the menstrual cycle, despite being mandatory, is only being delivered in half of schools. It is shocking that around 50% of schools are disregarding a vital, and mandatory, element of the curriculum. Where it is being delivered, in most cases, it is part of a biology lesson and years after most girls will have started their period. As we have found in our other work, this is typical of current teaching on reproductive health, which is inadequate, irrelevant to girls’ needs, and delivered too late in girls’ development. These failings are having obvious consequences for girls’ confidence and, in terms of participation in and enjoyment of PE and sport, leading to withdrawal from necessary, healthy activity.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation but deflected by responding solely on the importance of offering a wide choice of PE kit and sports bras for girls, including elite athletes, without addressing the core issue of inadequate menstrual cycle education.
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Government Equalities Office
3
Recommendation
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
The Department for Education must urgently review the quality and timeliness of education on girls’ health and physiology, including the effects of puberty, the menstrual cycle, and periods in the context of PE and school sport. Whether part of PE or PSHE, or ideally both, this education needs to be …
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The Department for Education must urgently review the quality and timeliness of education on girls’ health and physiology, including the effects of puberty, the menstrual cycle, and periods in the context of PE and school sport. Whether part of PE or PSHE, or ideally both, this education needs to be delivered more effectively and much earlier. Teachers need to be better trained to deliver it, including around how to have effective conversations with girls and support them during this significant life stage. Education on reproductive health is a positive, not a barrier to overcome. Our recommendations reflect what girls are asking for and are straightforward to implement. The DfE must make clear to all schools that not delivering education on the menstrual cycle is unacceptable and set out in response to this Report the steps it will take to ensure 100% compliance with the current requirements, with a clear timeframe to achieve this. We further recommend the DfE supports pilots of new approaches, such as the enhanced, four-week lesson plan being developed by Swansea University, and commits to rolling out an improved offer across all primary and secondary schools within the next 12 months.
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Government response AI summary
The government partially accepted the recommendation but deflected by focusing on existing physical activity campaigns, funding for PE and sport facilities, and the National Physical Activity Taskforce, without addressing the specific call to review and improve the quality and timeliness of girls' health and physiology …
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Government Equalities Office
5
Recommendation
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
We recommend Sport England launch a new strand of the “This Girl Can” campaign aimed at parents, tackling early years gender stereotypes around physical activity and sport. This should include a specific focus on the positive role fathers can play in encouraging girls in sport and exercise. Sport England should …
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We recommend Sport England launch a new strand of the “This Girl Can” campaign aimed at parents, tackling early years gender stereotypes around physical activity and sport. This should include a specific focus on the positive role fathers can play in encouraging girls in sport and exercise. Sport England should also work with the Health barriers for girls and women in sport 39 Department for Education to roll out the “Studio You” platform across all secondary schools, with the aim of reaching all girls meeting the Government’s definition of inactive in Key Stages 3 and 4. The DfE should further update its School Sport and Physical Activity Action Plan to include measurable targets for closing the “enjoyment gap” in PE between boys and girls.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation but states decisions on Sport England's priorities are independent. While it will focus the next phase of 'This Girl Can' on women aged 50 and over, this differs from the recommended focus on parents and early years, and it does …
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Government Equalities Office
7
Conclusion
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
Women in midlife face specific health-related barriers to participation, including but not limited to the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. These occur after many have experienced barriers at earlier life stages, including in early years and at school during puberty. Many women at this life stage will have dropped out …
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Women in midlife face specific health-related barriers to participation, including but not limited to the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. These occur after many have experienced barriers at earlier life stages, including in early years and at school during puberty. Many women at this life stage will have dropped out of sport and physical exercise many years previously. These barriers are compounded by the convergence of gendered social factors, including caring responsibilities for children and ageing parents, leaving them particularly time poor. Encouraging and facilitating women in midlife to become more active is therefore a challenge that requires a thorough understanding of their needs and specifically designed interventions. Current efforts, including the Government’s “Get Active” strategy, are inadequate for this group. The strategy lacks detailed analysis of the issues, measurable targets, and specially tailored interventions. This must be rectified.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to rectify strategy shortcomings but believes it can be achieved through the existing National Physical Activity Taskforce and the newly established Board of Women’s Sport, rather than committing to specific updates or rectifications of its 'Get Active' strategy itself.
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Government Equalities Office
8
Recommendation
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
We recommend Sport England prioritise another phase of the “This Girl Can” campaign focused on women in midlife, showing real life examples of women in the 40- to 60-year-old age group participating in a wide range of sports and physical activities, to inspire others.
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We recommend Sport England prioritise another phase of the “This Girl Can” campaign focused on women in midlife, showing real life examples of women in the 40- to 60-year-old age group participating in a wide range of sports and physical activities, to inspire others.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation but describes unrelated ongoing work by Sport England and other bodies focused on women in coaching and instructor training, not on launching a new phase of 'This Girl Can' specifically for women in midlife as recommended.
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Government Equalities Office
9
Recommendation
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
We recommend the DCMS update its “Get Active” strategy for the future of sport and physical activity in relation to women in midlife. It should work with organisations including Women in Sport and The Well HQ to include an analysis of the key barriers faced by women in this age …
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We recommend the DCMS update its “Get Active” strategy for the future of sport and physical activity in relation to women in midlife. It should work with organisations including Women in Sport and The Well HQ to include an analysis of the key barriers faced by women in this age group, measurable targets to increase their levels of activity, and specifically tailored interventions. (Paragraph 46) Sports and exercise research
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to update its 'Get Active' strategy for women in midlife but provides a response entirely unrelated, detailing Sport England's actions regarding Swim England's safeguarding and regulatory improvements.
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Government Equalities Office
11
Conclusion
Third Report - Health barriers for girl…
Deferred
While there are positive signs of change in the sports and exercise research sector, a more concerted and coordinated, cross-sector approach is required to achieve equality of attention to health and physiology-related issues affecting sportswomen, including those arising from kit and equipment. We note the Government’s acceptance of Karen Carney’s …
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While there are positive signs of change in the sports and exercise research sector, a more concerted and coordinated, cross-sector approach is required to achieve equality of attention to health and physiology-related issues affecting sportswomen, including those arising from kit and equipment. We note the Government’s acceptance of Karen Carney’s recommendation for it to convene a cross-sector group to consider these issues, but its response needs to go much further than its current commitment to a single round table meeting.
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Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation but largely responds by detailing employment rights, maternity leave, and pay for sportswomen, which is unrelated to the call for a more coordinated cross-sector approach for health, physiology, and kit issues.
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Government Equalities Office