Course Content
6 — Framework for gender mainstreaming in coach education

Representation and Participation of Women in Coaching

Women remain underrepresented in coaching, particularly in high-performance and male-dominated sports. Research indicates that increasing visibility and participation of women in coaching requires proactive outreach, role modelling, and the removal of structural barriers (Norman, 2010; Clarkson et al., 2020).

Strategies include:

  • Setting institutional targets for gender balance in enrolment and hiring.
  • Actively recruiting women into coaching programs.
  • Creating pathways from athlete to coach for women.
  • Including women in teaching, mentorship, and governance roles.

Ensuring diverse role models among trainers and mentors is key to challenging the perception that coaching is a male domain (Lockwood, 2006).