As the sports world continues to evolve, women are making significant strides in taking on more leadership roles, advocating for better policies, and increasing investments in women’s sports. This has resulted in record attendance and media coverage of women’s sporting events, as well as increased attention to addressing issues such as pay equity and violence and abuse against women in sports.
However, despite the progress that has been made, barriers and gender bias still persist in the sports industry. A survey conducted by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance in 2023 found that only 26.9 percent of executive positions in international sport federations are held by women, and only three out of 31 International Sports Federations have women in top leadership positions.
The gender diversity of the International Olympic Committee has also been improving, with 41 percent of members being female and more diversity in terms of age and regional representation. The IOC has achieved gender-equal representation on its commissions, marking a historic high and a 100 percent increase since 2013.
Within specific sports organizations, progress is being made towards achieving gender parity. For example, World Athletics has set a goal to increase the number of female coaches to at least 20 percent by the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 2025. However, there is still a significant gender gap when it comes to coaching and leadership roles within athletes’ entourages. Despite advancements, the representation of women in leadership roles such as Chef de Mission, Technical Official, and coach remains low.
Moving forward, efforts must continue to be made to increase gender diversity and opportunities for women in leadership roles within the sports industry. It is important to recognize that progress can be slow but steady and that it takes time to make meaningful changes. However, with continued dedication from all stakeholders involved