News
Only one in four people in sports management is a woman
Catalan sport still has unfinished business off the field: who makes the decisions. Only one in four people in sports management positions is a woman, a figure showing how much more slowly equality advances when it comes to power, management and presidencies.
The gap becomes even more apparent in clubs. Women hold barely 11% of presidencies and 17% of vice-presidencies, percentages that reflect a reality known to many athletes, coaches and managers: taking part in sport does not necessarily mean being able to lead it.
The problem is not only numerical. When women are left out of decision-making spaces, the possibilities of advancing more inclusive policies, improving conditions, reviewing priorities and addressing needs that have remained in the background for years are also reduced.
Amanda Gutiérrez, founder and honorary president of FUTPRO, and Maria Teixidor, the first woman secretary-general of Barça’s board of directors and current vice-president of UN Women Spain, have analysed this reality on Fase estàtica. Both know first-hand what it means to break new ground in structures where women are still a minority.
They both agree that obstacles do not disappear through talent or experience alone. Gender stereotypes, a lack of role models, traditionally male power networks and the lower visibility of women in positions of responsibility continue to act as barriers that are difficult to break down.
They also point to the importance of supporting new generations. It is not enough to say that women can get there: training, real opportunities, spaces of trust and structures that do not penalise those who try to occupy places where they were previously hardly ever expected are needed.
The lack of women in sporting leadership has a direct impact on young women who look upwards. If they do not see women presidents, vice-presidents, directors or negotiators, the message they receive is clear: sport may be theirs on the field, but not necessarily in the boardroom.
FUTPRO has become one example of that change. Founded as Spain’s first union exclusively for professional women footballers, it has given players a voice in labour negotiations and helped place their rights at the centre of public debate.
The challenge now is for that presence not to be exceptional. A woman leading, negotiating or presiding should not be unusual news, but a normal part of how sport works. For that to happen, equality must stop being a campaign slogan and enter statutes, election processes and the daily culture of clubs and federations.
The question is no longer whether women are ready to lead sport. They have been for a long time. The issue is how much longer sporting structures will take to truly open their doors and share power in a way that more closely resembles the society they claim to represent.