Women are reaching leadership roles in Canadian sport at some of the highest levels to date, holding 45% of board seats and 48% of board chair positions, according to a new national study from Canadian Women & Sport. However, that progress has not been sustained at the executive level, where women now account for just 34% of CEO and Executive Director roles across the national sport system — down from a high of 47% in 2022.
Building on nearly a decade of research, the latest Women in Sport Leadership Snapshot (Leadership Snapshot) shows that progress at the board level has not yet translated into paid executive leadership roles responsible for executing strategy and managing the day-to-day operations of sport organizations.
Women now hold close to half of all board seats (45%) and board chair positions (48%) — the highest levels on record — and make up nearly half of senior staff roles, but far fewer are advancing into CEO positions across the national sport system.
“Leadership in sport isn’t just about representation – it determines whose voices are heard, whose priorities are funded, and how the system evolves,” said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport. “We’ve seen real progress over the past decade, particularly at the board and senior staff level. But declining rates of women as paid executives shows that progress is not guaranteed and that work remains to be done to translate leadership representation into true inclusion, benefiting organizations and those they serve.”
The report combines data from a national survey of sport organizations and insights from women leaders across Canada, providing a clearer picture of both representation and lived experience in sport leadership. It also draws on research conducted in partnership with Brock University. Together, the findings highlight both the benefits of progress to date and the need to build on that momentum.
The Leadership Snapshot is funded by the Government of Canada as part of its commitment to advancing gender equity in sport.
- Full media release available at - LINK
- To Download Women in Sport Leadership Snapshot - LINK
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About Canadian Women & Sport
Canadian Women & Sport is a national nonprofit and has been the leading voice and authority on women and sport for more than 40 years. We believe in the power of sport as a platform for advancing equity for women across all areas of society. As such, we are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive sport system that empowers women and girls as participants and leaders, within sport and through sport. www.womenandsport.ca
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