Gender (in)equality in Spanish handball: analysis of women’s representation in governing and technical bodies of federations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v80.119011Keywords:
Coaches, feminism, glass ceiling, pipeline, sportAbstract
Introduction: the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions remains a persistent phenomenon worldwide.
Objective: (i) to analyze the gender representation of the governing bodies (president and executive board) of regional handball federations in Spain; and (ii) to examine the gender composition of the technical staff (head coach and technical staff) of the youth teams of these federations.
Methodology: the composition of the presidency, executive boards, head coach positions, and technical staff of 19 regional handball federations in Spain was analyzed, including youth teams in the Under-18, Under-16, and Under-14 categories. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit and independence tests were used to examine gender differences across positions and categories, and odds ratios (OR) were estimated to assess the probability of women occupying different positions.
Results: all federation presidencies were occupied by men. Women were underrepresented on executive boards (32.8%, χ² = 25.41, p < 0.01), with approximately half the probability of holding a position compared with men (OR=0.49, p<0.001). Women were also underrepresented in head coach positions (12.1%, χ²=25.34, p<0.001). In technical staffs, women represented 31.8% (χ²=32.33, p<0.001) although women had a 74% lower probability of holding a technical position (OR=0.26, p<0.001).
discussion: The results follow patterns described in previous studies across sports and countries. Although this is the first study in handball adopting a gender perspective that examines both governing and technical bodies
conclusions: These findings highlight persistent gender inequalities in governing and technical positions and support the need for policies to improve gender balance in sports organizations.
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