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| Give women what they want on sport, says sports minister | Give women what they want on sport, says sports minister |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Women should be asked what they want when it comes to sport, to get more taking part and to close the gender gap, Sports Minister Helen Grant says. | Women should be asked what they want when it comes to sport, to get more taking part and to close the gender gap, Sports Minister Helen Grant says. |
| Women should be offered "what works for them", whether that be more traditional hockey or athletics, or ballet, gym and cheerleading, she told the Telegraph. | Women should be offered "what works for them", whether that be more traditional hockey or athletics, or ballet, gym and cheerleading, she told the Telegraph. |
| Mrs Grant also urged broadcasters to show more women's sport, saying a "behavioural change" was needed. | Mrs Grant also urged broadcasters to show more women's sport, saying a "behavioural change" was needed. |
| She added women did not have to feel "unfeminine" when they take part. | She added women did not have to feel "unfeminine" when they take part. |
| Her comments come after Britain's women won a curling bronze to ensure Team GB will equal their best medal haul at a Winter Olympics. | Her comments come after Britain's women won a curling bronze to ensure Team GB will equal their best medal haul at a Winter Olympics. |
| 'Balanced coverage' | 'Balanced coverage' |
| Figures suggest that despite an increase in the number of women playing sport regularly, 1.8 million more men than women take part in sport at least once a week. | Figures suggest that despite an increase in the number of women playing sport regularly, 1.8 million more men than women take part in sport at least once a week. |
| Mrs Grant, minister of sport, tourism and equalities, told the Telegraph's Wonder Women site there had not been enough media coverage of women's sport "to close this gender gap". | Mrs Grant, minister of sport, tourism and equalities, told the Telegraph's Wonder Women site there had not been enough media coverage of women's sport "to close this gender gap". |
| "I think we ultimately need a behavioural change," she said. | "I think we ultimately need a behavioural change," she said. |
| "I think we need to get to the point where women's sport is looked on and regarded as equal to the men's game. When we get to that point that's when we get the balanced coverage." | "I think we need to get to the point where women's sport is looked on and regarded as equal to the men's game. When we get to that point that's when we get the balanced coverage." |
| She said women needed to be offered a "good spread" of sport. | She said women needed to be offered a "good spread" of sport. |
| "We really need to take a step back and actually ask women what they want and give it to them," said Mrs Grant, Conservative MP for Maidstone and The Weald in Kent. | "We really need to take a step back and actually ask women what they want and give it to them," said Mrs Grant, Conservative MP for Maidstone and The Weald in Kent. |
| "That can be whether it's a Zumba class or a game of rounders after they've dropped the kids off. That's the approach we need to take - what works for them," she said. | |
| "It's having a good spread on offer. For example some girls may well not like doing very traditional hockey, tennis or athletics, others might, so for those who don't want to, how about considering maybe gym, ballet, cheerleading? It's not just schools, it's clubs, it's being innovative. Actually looking at our women and our girls and asking, what do they want?" | "It's having a good spread on offer. For example some girls may well not like doing very traditional hockey, tennis or athletics, others might, so for those who don't want to, how about considering maybe gym, ballet, cheerleading? It's not just schools, it's clubs, it's being innovative. Actually looking at our women and our girls and asking, what do they want?" |
| Women in sport inquiry | Women in sport inquiry |
| She also stressed that women "don't have to feel unfeminine". | She also stressed that women "don't have to feel unfeminine". |
| "There are some wonderful sports which you can do and perform to a very high level and I think those participating look absolutely radiant and very feminine such as ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading and even roller-skating," she said. | "There are some wonderful sports which you can do and perform to a very high level and I think those participating look absolutely radiant and very feminine such as ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading and even roller-skating," she said. |
| Responding to Mrs Grant's comments, Labour MP Angela Eagle said: "I was really disappointed to see her saying what she said about cheerleading for women's sports. | |
| "She's an equality minister, she's the sports minister and she really should be championing women getting involved in sports, not repeating lazy stereotypes about women in sports feeling unfeminine." | "She's an equality minister, she's the sports minister and she really should be championing women getting involved in sports, not repeating lazy stereotypes about women in sports feeling unfeminine." |
| A Sport England survey carried out between April 2012-13 suggested just 30.5% of women were participating in sport once a week, though this was a rise of 489,100 compared to two years earlier. | A Sport England survey carried out between April 2012-13 suggested just 30.5% of women were participating in sport once a week, though this was a rise of 489,100 compared to two years earlier. |
| And a BBC Sport survey carried out after the London Olympics found just 10% of women said it had inspired them to become more active. | And a BBC Sport survey carried out after the London Olympics found just 10% of women said it had inspired them to become more active. |
| An inquiry was later launched into women's participation in sport, with the first evidence from various women's sporting organisations heard in November. | An inquiry was later launched into women's participation in sport, with the first evidence from various women's sporting organisations heard in November. |
| The Culture, Media and Sport Committee said it was hoped the successes of female athletes in London would result in greater prominence for women's sport - but it "still faces a number of disadvantages compared with sport for men". | The Culture, Media and Sport Committee said it was hoped the successes of female athletes in London would result in greater prominence for women's sport - but it "still faces a number of disadvantages compared with sport for men". |
| The inquiry's final report and recommendations are due this year. | The inquiry's final report and recommendations are due this year. |