Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament am ar 28 Tachwedd 2023.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Paul Sweeney Paul Sweeney Llafur

I will not hold the member’s support for a London team against him, even though he is a member for Glasgow. Nonetheless, he makes an important point about the role of podcasts and the increasing democratisation of fan media. That is an important part of what we should consider. It is not just for traditional media channels to normalise attitudes; it also falls to the fan base. We are seeing encouraging signs, particularly in the football world, that things are moving in a positive direction, which is to be commended. I thank the member for making that important point.

Although we see democratisation of fan-base media, it is too often used maliciously. Social media provide a platform for dissemination of negative body image content and misogynistic content that can further discourage women and girls from taking part in sport and physical activity. However, used positively, social media offer an opportunity for sports organisations, governing bodies and other key stakeholders to promote the positive health benefits of being physically active, to give positive role models a platform to demonstrate leadership and to challenge negative content.

I will conclude by echoing the convener’s earlier words of thanks to all those who engaged so positively and constructively with our inquiry, often with distressing, detailed and nonetheless emotional evidence. I hope that the Scottish Government will give careful consideration to the key recommendations from this important and vital inquiry and that, by working together to implement them, we can close the gender gap in participation in sport and boost the long-term health and wellbeing of girls and women throughout our country.