Chaymaa Lotfy

The underrepresentation of women in sports leadership positions raises significant concerns regarding equality and diversity. This study aims to explore the relationship between sports leadership and gender. The objective is to understand and highlight the individual, organizational, and societal factors hindering women’s progress in sports leadership roles. This paper identified 32 publications out of 157 selected references through the systematic literature review (SLR) method. The results of this meta-analysis reveal that despite their active involvement in sports, women remain inadequately represented in leadership roles. In fact, women face several challenges, including sexism, underestimation of their skills, and associating them with family constraints. Consequently, it becomes imperative to take concrete measures to promote gender equality and an equal professional development environment for both genders. Several areas for future studies could deepen the understanding of sports leadership and gender, including cross-linguistic comparisons, intersectional perspectives, longitudinal analyses, a study of male dynamics, technological impact, the evaluation of organizational policies and practices, as well as cultural comparisons.

This study explores the dynamics of career anchors shaped by organizational, individual, and societal determinants in relation to women’s access to leadership positions in Moroccan sports federations. In a historically male-dominated setting, understanding these dynamics is essential for promoting more equitable and sustainable career progression. Between January and June 2024, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 female leaders from 12 federations, employing a qualitative interpretive approach and thematic analysis using NVivo 14. The findings highlight two anchors specific to the Moroccan socio-cultural context (family and social support and religious and cultural beliefs), which reveal the impact of cultural pressures and familial responsibilities that may hinder women’s advancement. Additionally, six other career anchors prevail in sports: emotional and professional security, managerial competencies, resilient challenge, technical skills, transformative commitment, and global outlook. The interplay of individual, organizational, and societal factors, along with these career anchors, shows that older women seek to make a lasting impact, while younger women prioritize challenges. Family and cultural support helps balance personal life and ambitions, while the development of managerial skills and a supportive work environment proves crucial. Moreover, the economic context, religious beliefs, cultural norms, and international legal frameworks heavily influence women’s career choices, prompting them to pursue stability, ethical alignment, and global opportunities. This study provides decision-makers with a clear understanding of the factors shaping women’s career trajectories and suggests tangible actions (fostering inclusive governance, advancing gender equality, and shifting mindsets) that can enhance the overall performance of the Moroccan sports sector.