Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, shining a spotlight on our journey towards gender equity in sport.
Stifle a yawn. In reality – what has changed in the past year to make a tangible difference? How do we create a future with more opportunities for young women to thrive when progress is slow, and there is often little political will for governance reforms that would see men stepping aside to make way for qualified women?
The gold standard is gender equity on the boards of sports organisations worldwide. Yet, we are far from achieving this, with many organisations lucky to have even one woman in their decision-making structures.
Since 2019, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has conducted independent annual research on women’s representation in the highest executive bodies of the 32 international federations recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). So far, we have yet to hit 30 per cent.
In 2024, out of the 206 IOC member National Olympic Committees (NOCs), only 24 were led by women – a mere 11.65 per cent.
While this paints a bleak picture, it is still progress.
Last year, UEFA changed its statutes to double the number of women in its Executive Committee – from one to two. Around the world, more initiatives, such as Women in Sport (UK), the Women’s Sports Foundation (US), and Play By the Rules (Australia), are working to increase female representation on sports boards and empower girls through sport.
Women’s sport is not just having a moment – an expression I loathe – but is breaking records. Women’s football matches are drawing unprecedented crowds, with stadiums reaching over 80,000 in capacity – think Arsenal FC Women – and more female investors, such as Michele Kang and Renee Montgomery, are stepping in. Then, of course, there are the high-profile women backing Angel City FC.
The 2024 Paris Olympics was the first in history where women competed in equal numbers as men. In several countries, including the USA, China, Australia, the Netherlands, and South Korea, female athletes won more medals than their male counterparts.
Sponsorships for women’s sport are also on the rise. But the age-old chicken-and-egg problem remains – less investment compared to men’s sports due to lower viewership, which in turn affects media rights deals.
Women’s sport and female leadership in sport are not charities. Despite progress, we must keep pushing to drive change and shift the narrative.
So, what can we do as individuals?
Seven years ago, SIGA’s global CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros challenged me to create a global mentorship programme for aspiring female leaders in sports to implement governance reforms.
At first, I wasn’t keen on being a poster girl for gender equity in sport. I had already faced enough challenges as a female sports lawyer, often being the only woman in the room.
Why highlight my gender when it had been a disadvantage? A male partner at a well-known sports law firm once asked me in an interview: what are the disadvantages of being female? Quite a few, it seemed.
Why lead a group of women when, in my experience, women themselves had often been the gatekeepers, protecting their privileged positions as the only ones at the top?
Through our mentorship programme, I quickly realised I wasn’t alone in facing these challenges.
I also saw the power of storytelling – to educate, inspire, and unite a new generation of leaders. Yes, leaders – let’s drop the gender label – to revitalise and innovate the fast-paced sports industry.
To date, SIGAWomen has mentored over 300 women worldwide, providing a safe space to discuss difficult topics and equipping mentees with the smart responses we all wish we had but often struggled to voice.
Last year, we connected 150 women from 32 countries. This year, we are doubling that to 300 women from over 50 countries, with plans to expand to 1,000 by 2026.
Over the past year, I have “speed-dated” more than 150 women from 45 countries to recruit them into the SIGAWomen movement and help close the gender gap on sports boards.
What I have learned is that gender equity varies across continents. Yet, despite our different perspectives, we all agree that more needs to be done to support aspiring women, equip them with the confidence and expertise to recognise their value, and empower them to step into leadership roles.
This is what drives me to keep building a community of like-minded women in sport – those who lift each other up rather than compete against one another.
I am confident and optimistic that we can increase the number of female leaders – provided we have allies, sponsors, and a commitment to lifting each other up, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day.
Katie Simmonds is the SIGAWomen chair. Tentytwo13 is SIGA’s official media partner.
