Women in Sport Governance across Europe: Institutional and Socioeconomic Determinants of Leadership Representation

Although women’s participation in sport has increased considerably in recent decades, leadership and governance positions within sport organizations remain dominated by men to a great extent. This continuous asymmetry raises questions about equality, representation and the institutional conditions that shape leadership opportunities in sport systems. Existing research has focused on organizational barriers within sport institutions, such as masculinized cultures, informal recruitment networks and gender stereotypes that limit women’s access to leadership roles. However, less attention has been paid to the broader structural and institutional factors that may influence women’s representation in sport governance across different national contexts.

This study examines how gender equality, socioeconomic inequality, women’s labor force participation and public investment in sport are associated with representation in sport governance across European countries. The analysis is based on a dataset covering 30 countries from Europe observed between 2018 and 2024. The research combines indicators from international statistical databases to explore how differences in national institutional settings relate to gender representation in sport leadership. Four research hypotheses concerning the role of institutional equality, economic inequality, labor market participation and public investment in shaping governance outcomes are investigated.

The results show that higher levels of institutional gender equality and stronger participation of women in the labour market are associated with higher representation of women in sport governance. Public investment in sport also appears to support more inclusive leadership structures, although regional differences remain visible. The findings highlight the importance of considering sport governance within its extensive institutional environment and contribute to the growing literature on gender equality and leadership in sport systems across Europe.