Barriers, facilitators and strategies that influence women’s participation on boards of directors of Chilean sports federations

Abstract

The gender gap in female participation in decision-making positions is evident in sports organizations.The boards of directors of Chilean sports federations are no strangers to this situation. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine barriers, facilitators and strategies that influence the participation and development of women in managerial positions in Chilean Sports Federations. The method was qualitative with a descriptive approach and the technique was the personal interview through the application of a semi-structured script of questions. During October and November 2020, virtual interviews were conducted with women who were members of the boards of directors of sports federations. The analysis was carried out through categories of analysis and coding using Atlas. Ti. The barriers identified are associated with family situations such as caring for family members. The existence of prejudices associated with gender stereotypes in the functions performed, underestimation of women’s opinions and the development of positions in masculinized environments that make women invisible are also recognized. Family support is identified as facilitating agents, having a profession, work experience and training in sports management, together with some aspects of the leaders’ personalities.As strategies, the need for a cultural change within the federations regarding women’s participation, the implementation of participation quotas by gender and the development of leadership training programs for women were identified.