The rise in cruciate ligament injuries in women's football highlights gender inequality, a British report says

A rise in anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women's soccer highlights “systemic gender inequality in sport,” a British Parliament report said on Tuesday.

The Women and Equalities Committee said there was a “lack of understanding of the health and physiological needs of women and girls across sport”.

In its report, “Health barriers for girls and women in sport,” it identified the lack of footwear specifically tailored to the needs of female soccer players as a problem area and called on the government to put together a task force to address the issue.

“It is symptomatic of gender inequality and sexism in the sports sector that the world’s first football boot designed for female feet was launched less than four years ago,” said committee chairwoman Caroline Nokes.

ACL injuries in high-profile players have brought this particular issue into the spotlight.

Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr suffered a torn cruciate ligament in January. The other top players Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead and Leah Williamson also suffered cruciate ligament injuries.

The committee said the response from the sports science sector had been “uneven and slow” and that sport and exercise research had been “overwhelmingly” carried out by men.

“We have no doubt that a health issue of similar magnitude affecting elite male footballers would have required a quicker, more thorough and more coordinated response.”

In a report last year, the world players' union FIFPRO noted that increased demands in women's football had led to a “remarkable” increase in injuries, including to the ACL.

It said players who competed more with their club and national teams and traveled extensively were more susceptible to lower limb injuries.

The Women and Equalities Committee report has highlighted concerns about sportswear and calls for brands to be included in a task force to help improve the physiological health of female players.

“While female footballers in the UK achieved great success at club and national level, they did so wearing ill-fitting footwear. There are few women’s football boots available and those that are available are rarely stocked or promoted by the UK’s leading sports retailers.”

The report says the problems go beyond the professional level and calls on schools to “drastically” improve teaching about girls' physiology, including the menstrual cycle, when it comes to sport and exercise.

Here too, Kit was cause for concern.

“There is overwhelming evidence that school sport and sports equipment can have a devastating impact on girls’ confidence to participate and enjoy school sport,” the report said.

Outside football, the report said “deplorable” and “harmful” coaching practices, which included “public weigh-ins, fat-shaming and bullying in swimming and wider sport”, had damaged trust in sporting bodies.

The British government has two months to respond to the report.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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` Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer