I thank members from across the chamber who have contributed. The debate has covered a lot of ground, and from listening to those contributions, I am hugely encouraged by the progress that we have made, but I am under no illusion that a lot of work remains to be done. I very firmly believe that sport should be a safe and enjoyable space for women, whether they are participating, coaching or watching. It is our duty to ensure that every girl and woman, regardless of her age or background, has access to the array of physical and mental benefits that come from being active.

The committee’s report underlines the importance of breaking down the barriers that have hindered female participation at every level of physical activity. We know that data remains a challenge. We publish data on participation from the Scottish household survey and the numbers meeting the CMO guidelines from the Scottish health survey. Although they provide a range of information on age, gender and socioeconomic status, for example, we are working to identify ways in which we can also report on ethnicity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity and religion.

It is not, of course, just about increasing the number of women who participate; it is about harnessing the transformational power of sport to enhance wellbeing, foster community and empower individuals. Sport is also a critical part of improving the health of the nation. Through targeted work, community engagement and a diverse offering, we can definitely improve our sporting system so that it enables women to thrive on and off the field.

We are fortunate in Scotland to have committed individuals throughout the sporting sector and that our national agency—sportscotland—fosters an environment in which every female athlete has the chance to succeed and feels welcomed.

During Scottish women and girls in sport week, I visited sportscotland institute of sport and had the opportunity to hear about the work that it is carrying out on female athlete health and performance training. I also got the chance to speak to some Scottish athletes about their experiences and how they were being supported by the institute. However, that work does not support just elite athletes. The female athlete health group has developed a new e-learning resource that is aimed at anyone who works with female athletes at any level in sport.

True progress requires addressing challenges at every level, from local community clubs to the national stage, and the coverage of elite athletes in the media. It is clear that we still have some way to go, particularly in ensuring that women have the same sponsorship opportunities and investment, and that we are able to see women’s sport televised and reported on. There have been some huge changes over the past few years alone, but there is definitely more to be done.

I recently visited Ross County Football Club’s women’s team. I met players who hope to enter the Highlands and Islands league next year. Scottish Power has announced that it is sponsoring that league, and it is keen to ensure that it leaves a lasting legacy. It is the first time that that league has secured sponsorship. That further underlines the upward trajectory of women’s football in Scotland and highlights that women’s sport is worth investing in.

Earlier this year, I heard the secretary general of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, Lisa O’Keefe, speaking at the Scottish women in sport conference. The secretariat is based in the UK for the next three years. That provides a fantastic opportunity to create a real sustainable impact on women’s and girls’ sport beyond 2026.

As I mentioned earlier, leadership is likely to be a focus for the Government. That is an important topic, both to highlight those women in leadership positions and to open up conversations about the barriers or drop-off in leadership as well as participation beyond the teenage years.

It has long been recognised that there is no single solution to reducing inactivity across the population. We are working through our national leadership group for physical activity and sport to agree recommendations and actions for a whole-systems approach that reflect particular conditions in Scotland, based on the International Society for Physical Activity and Health’s “Eight Investments that Work for Physical Activity”.