This project explores how three International Federations (IFs) of Sport develop women’s coaching and leadership opportunities.
Through document analysis and interviews, it examines strategic priorities, organisational practices and safeguarding approaches to understand how IFs can strengthen pathways for women coaches globally.
Women remain significantly underrepresented in coaching and leadership roles across global sport.
Despite increasing attention to gender equity, many structural, cultural and organisational barriers continue to limit the recruitment, development and long‑term retention of women coaches and leaders. IFs play an important role in shaping the policies, safeguarding standards and development pathways that determine whether women can access and thrive in coaching roles, yet little research has examined how these organisations approach this responsibility.
While much of the existing literature focuses on individual coaches, clubs, or national‑level systems, comparatively little is known about how international federations (IFs) seek to develop, promote and sustain women’s coaching pathways.
Project description:
The study focuses on IF approaches to women’s coaching. It explores how historical strategies have shaped current practice and how future opportunities for strengthening women’s coaching can be realised.
A combination of document analysis and in‑depth semi‑structured interviews with International Federations and National Federations, alongside focus groups with women coaches will provide a detailed understanding of the political, economic, social, technological, legal and organisational factors affecting this work. The project also adopts a process‑oriented perspective, examining how past, present and future dynamics interact within each organisation.
Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project
Dr Tarryn Godfrey - Tarryn is a Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise Science (Sport Development). Her research employs qualitative methodologies and focuses on third sector partnerships, organisational capacity, and capacity building. She has extensive experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and has established impactful partnerships with Sport for Development charities, International Federations and National Governing Bodies of sport across the UK and internationally.
Tarryn is the Director of Recruitment and Admissions for Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences and is a member of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse.
I AM CURRENTLY ADVERTISING FOR A FULLY FUNDED PHD STUDENT HERE: Capacity Building in Sport for Development: Contexts, Challenges and Change in East Africa - ESRC GRAND UNION DTP CDA
Related Research Group(s)
Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse - Inequalities in health and wellbeing in the UK and internationally; welfare, health and wellbeing; ageing studies; health economics.
Partnering with confidence
Organisations interested in our research can partner with us with confidence backed by an external and independent benchmark: The Knowledge Exchange Framework. Read more.
Project last modified 22/04/2026