{"primaryDescription":"<h2><strong>MPs to examine women&rsquo;s careers in sports science sectors</strong></h2>\r\n<p>The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from academic researchers and specialist practitioners working in the sports science sectors during the third <a href=\"https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27615/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/\">evidence session</a> of its inquiry: <a href=\"https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9719/beyond-participation-routes-into-sport-for-girls-and-women/\">Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women</a>.</p>","secondaryDescription":"<p>MPs on the cross-party committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, will examine women&rsquo;s career routes into sports science, including as researchers in academic settings and specialists, such as physiotherapists and physiologists working directly with athletes.</p>\r\n<p>Discussion is likely to focus on barriers to pursuing careers in sports science and experiences of inequality within the field, including its impact on women&rsquo;s health, performance and sports participation. The session may also explore workplace conditions and culture, kit and equipment designed for women, funding and the gender data gap.</p>\r\n<p>WEC&rsquo;s inquiry examinesways women and girls can be involved in sport beyond participating as athletes, players and competitors. It will also cover roles in club administration and sports governance, plus access to sports journalism and broadcasting. The inquiry explores access from grassroots level and pathways to professional and elite careers.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>The predecessor Committee published a <a href=\"https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/200229/sport-must-do-better-over-kit-for-women-and-girls-amid-disproportionately-high-rates-of-acl-injuries-wec-warns/\">report</a> in March 2024 on the health and physiology-related barriers to girls&rsquo; and women&rsquo;s participation and performance in sport and exercise.</p>","parliamentTvUrl":"https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/24e5b448-da6e-4c8f-904e-41923acf2daf","id":27615,"name":"Women and Equalities Committee","startDate":"2026-07-08T14:00:00","endDate":"2026-07-08T16:30:00","cancelledDate":null,"locationId":13,"location":"Room 6, Palace of Westminster","eventType":{"id":6,"name":"Formal meeting (oral evidence session)","isVisit":false,"description":"Formal meetings may be held in private (for example to consider a draft report) or in public (for example to hear oral evidence), and require a minimum number of members to be present."},"eventSource":"CIS","committees":[{"contact":{"email":"womeqcom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":"Women and Equalities Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA","contactDisclaimer":"We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone.\r\nPlease be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints."},"id":328,"name":"Women and Equalities Committee","parentCommittee":null,"subCommittees":[],"house":"Commons","leadHouse":null,"category":{"id":1,"name":"Select"},"committeeTypes":[{"id":1,"name":"(HC) Public Standing Orders - Departmental","committeeCategory":{"id":1,"name":"Select"}}],"showOnWebsite":true,"websiteLegacyUrl":"https://old.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalities-committee/","websiteLegacyRedirectEnabled":false,"startDate":"2015-06-03T00:00:00","endDate":null,"dateCommonsAppointed":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","dateLordsAppointed":null,"scrutinisingDepartments":[{"departmentId":104,"name":"Government Equalities Office"}],"isLeadCommittee":true,"nameHistory":[{"id":322,"committeeId":328,"name":"Women and Equalities Committee","startDate":"2015-06-03T00:00:00","endDate":null}]}],"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9719,"title":"Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2026-03-26T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"womeqcom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"childEvents":[],"nextActivity":null,"activities":[{"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9719,"title":"Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2026-03-26T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"womeqcom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"oralEvidences":[],"id":38242,"name":"Women and Equalities Committee","startDate":"2026-07-08T14:00:00","endDate":"2026-07-08T14:20:00","eventId":27615,"isPrivate":true,"activityType":"Private discussion","attendees":[]},{"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9719,"title":"Beyond participation: Routes into sport for girls and women","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2026-03-26T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"womeqcom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"oralEvidences":[],"id":38243,"name":"Women and Equalities Committee","startDate":"2026-07-08T14:20:00","endDate":"2026-07-08T16:30:00","eventId":27615,"isPrivate":false,"activityType":"Oral evidence","attendees":[{"displayOrder":1,"organisations":[{"name":"UK Sports Institute","role":"Head of Performance Health at England and GB Hockey","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/fWVgoicm","cisId":82064}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36306,"personId":123170,"name":"Emma Batchelor","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":2,"organisations":[{"name":"Manchester Metropolitan University","role":"Prof. of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/V3VBHNnO","cisId":53875}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36308,"personId":123172,"name":"Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":3,"organisations":[{"name":"Loughborough University","role":"Prof. of Women in Sport and the Director of the Women in Sport Research & Innovation Hub","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/4HtVJtO9","cisId":53112}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36309,"personId":123173,"name":"Professor Leanne Norman","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":4,"organisations":[{"name":"Cardiff Metropolitan University","role":"Senior Lecturer in Sport Performance Analysis","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/j5FlP0mQ","cisId":21203},{"name":"Welsh Feathers","role":"Lead Performance Analyst","idmsId":null,"cisId":113148}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36310,"personId":123174,"name":"Gemma Davies","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":5,"organisations":[{"name":"University of Essex","role":"Lecturer in Performance Analysis","idmsId":null,"cisId":3380}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36433,"personId":123253,"name":"Dr Alice Harkness-Armstrong","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null}]}]}