I am delighted to speak in the debate to celebrate Scottish women and girls in sport week, and I will focus my contribution on the huge leap forward that women and girls in Scotland have made in all areas of sport. I pay tribute to them for leading the way by being great role models and encouraging more women and girls to get active, and I applaud them for their incredible successes, which show that, as always, Scotland punches above its weight in competitive sport.

A great example of that is the fact that Celtic Football Club Women has just become the first Scottish team to qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage—congratulations to them. Of course, Scotland’s women’s team have done us proud on the international stage time after time.

Those firsts are so important, given that—it is absolutely incredible to think about this—women were banned from playing football in Scotland until the 1970s. That senseless ban led the legendary Rose Reilly to leave Scotland for Italy, where she played for the Italian team and won the world cup in 1984. That is pretty impressive.

Rose Reilly was voted best player for AC Milan and went on to win a multitude of footballing awards. Incidentally, she was allowed to play for Celtic Boys Club—which had scouted her—but only if she cut her hair short and called herself Ross. That is absolutely staggering.

We have certainly come a long way, although progress is needed in tackling the gender pay gap for players. Women’s football now has a huge fan base and generates ever-increasing crowds at matches.

I want to tell members about a remarkable wee girl who lives in the east end of Glasgow. Mirrin Kennedy, who is just nine years old, was scouted by Heart of Midlothian Women Football Club just before the summer, after the club saw her play in her regional team, Finnart Girls. She now plays in the Hearts development squad, which is the first step on the pathway to the next generation of players. Young Mirrin is certainly in demand—Celtic FC Women is interested in her and she is also currently training with Kilmarnock FC Women.

All that is remarkable in itself; members will find it even more so when I inform them that Mirrin suffers from cystic fibrosis. Thankfully, she has made great progress on the Kaftrio medication and her lung function is presently normal. Nothing can stop that wee inspiration. In my view, she is the embodiment of #SheCanSheWill. At the tender age of nine, she is a star already. Her mum Ashley, her dad Robert and the wider family are beyond proud of her, as, I am sure, the whole of Scotland is. Her determination not to be held back against all odds by her condition must be an inspiration to girls from all backgrounds.

Taking part in sport has so many benefits for women and girls, both for their mental and their physical health. I was not particularly sporty at school, but I loved netball. I still remember the excitement of playing against other schools and the thrill of winning a match. I understand that sportscotland has introduced walking netball, which might be more suited to my capabilities these days.

The Scottish National Party Scottish Government is working to increase women’s and girls’ participation in sport by progressing the commitment to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million by the end of this session of Parliament.

Across all 32 local authorities in the past year, more than 129,000 girls and young women made more than 2.1 million visits to active schools sessions, with netball, football and multisport sessions proving the most popular.

Fit for girls is a national programme developed in partnership by sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust, and the young ambassadors initiative is a key element of sportscotland’s contribution to developing young people as leaders in sport. Each year, two pupils from every secondary school are chosen as young ambassadors to promote sport and to motivate and inspire other young people to get involved in sport in their schools, clubs and local communities. Teenage girls consistently make up more than half of all young ambassadors. That is hugely encouraging.

Women and girls in Scotland are leading the way on a range of sports, from football and rugby to netball and boxing and so much more. They are punching above their weight, and long may that continue.