Policy Recommendations for National and Regional Bodies
To facilitate structural transformation, federations and associations should:
- Integrate gender equality goals into their statutes, codes of ethics, and long-term strategic plans.
- Establish or strengthen gender equality committees or task forces with decision-making power.
- Mandate gender training for coach developers, technical directors, and certification bodies.
- Require gender-responsive curricula in all coach education programmes.
- Link public funding and recognition to gender equity performance, following models used in Scandinavian countries (Adriaanse & Claringbould, 2016).
Example: The GAMES Project (2023), co-funded by the European Union, supported eight National Olympic Committees —including Greece, Germany, Turkey, and Ireland— in developing tailored National Action Plans (NAPs) to advance gender equality in leadership. These NAPs addressed structural barriers by introducing governance reforms, setting representation targets (e.g., 30% minimum female representation in decision-making), launching gender equality commissions, and offering scholarships for women coaches. The project also included baseline assessments, capacity-building workshops, and policy dialogue to institutionalize change. The model is directly transferable to national federations and sport governing bodies seeking to formalize gender mainstreaming strategies.
