The sports world is making significant strides in terms of gender equality, with women taking on more leadership roles and advocating for better policies. However, despite the progress that has been made, barriers and gender bias still persist in the 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. This highlights the need for continued efforts to increase gender diversity within the industry.
However, there are some positive developments worth noting. For example, the IOC has achieved gender-equal representation on its commissions and has improved its gender diversity among members, with 41 percent being female. This marks a historic high and a 100 percent increase since 2013. Additionally, World Athletics has set a goal to increase the number of female coaches to at least 20 percent by the Tokyo World Championships in 2025.
Despite these advancements, there is still a significant gap when it comes to coaching and leadership roles within athletes’ entourages. For example, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, only 13 percent of coaches were women. In order to continue making progress towards gender equality in sports, efforts must be made to increase opportunities for women in leadership roles within teams and organizations.
In conclusion, while there have been significant strides made towards gender equality in sports, barriers and biases still exist that need to be addressed head-on. Continued efforts are necessary to ensure that women have equal opportunities for leadership roles and participation in all aspects of the sports industry.