• Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham launch drive to tackle inequalities that prevent women and girls getting active.
• The barriers for women to move more are illustrated in the gender activity gap and the resulting mental, social and physical health impacts for women and girls across our City Regions.
• Merseyside Sports Partnership and Greater Manchester Moving will create plans to address barriers and to provide training, education, and new opportunities to support safe participation.
• Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester have signed the IWG Women and Sport’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration.

Left to right: Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, Lisa O’Keefe MBE, Secretary General of IWG, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has joined the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in backing a plan to create more opportunities for women and girls in sport, physical activity and movement.

Currently, only 56% of women in the Liverpool City Region and 59% of women in Greater Manchester achieve the recommended 150 minutes of weekly activity, compared to 65% of men.

Merseyside Sport Partnership (MSP) and Greater Manchester Moving (GMM) – Sport England’s Active Partnerships for the regions – have been working together and will lead new plans with action to close the gap. These plans will address safety issues that impact women and girls, provide workforce training and education, and ultimately create new opportunities for women and girls to get active with confidence.

To speed up progress and lead for cultural and systemic change, the two combined authorities have adopted a joint approach. Both the Liverpool and Greater Manchester City Regions have together signed up to the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, an internationally recognised global framework from the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport. This makes them the first place-based signatories in the declaration’s 30-year history.

As the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing gender equality in sport and physical activity, IWG works closely with signatories of the Declaration to share successes, learn from others, and be part of a collective push reshaping sport worldwide.

This partnership will form part of the build-up to the IWG Global Summit in Birmingham in July 2026.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

“We know that women and girls face deep-rooted inequalities right across the world. Sadly, those same barriers exist here in the Liverpool City Region when it comes to access and inclusion in movement, physical activity, and sport.

“That’s why we’re committed to making this place one where equality for women and girls is a reality. Everyone who lives, works and plays here shares that responsibility and must play their part in making sure this ambition becomes real.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:

“In Greater Manchester, we believe every woman and girl has the right to feel safe, included, and empowered — not just in society, but in every park, pitch, and public space. Therefore, I’m proud that here in Greater Manchester, alongside colleagues in Liverpool City Region we are prioritising this work. Physical activity is not a luxury; it’s a foundation for wellbeing, confidence and equality — and essential to building a city-region where women and girls can truly thrive and lead a good life.”

Lisa O’Keefe MBE, Secretary General of IWG, said:

“I am delighted that Mayor Rotheram and Mayor Burnham have demonstrated their joint leadership by championing gender equality across sport, physical activity, and movement within their city regions through signing the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration. With this step, the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester Combined Authority become the first place-based signatories of the Declaration, setting an inspiring precedent that IWG is excited to share as a case study within the network.

“I look forward to working with both city regions and their Mayors to progress this work and to showcase this pioneering work at the IWG Global Summit in Birmingham in 2026, where 1200 international stakeholders from across the sport sector will come together to share learnings and accelerate progress for women and girls worldwide.

“My sincere thanks go to Liverpool City Region, Merseyside Sports Partnership, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Moving and their local partners for their commitment and collaboration. I look forward to seeing their plans take shape and deliver real, lasting change across both regions.”