Mapping and analysis of education schemes for coaches from a gender perspective

Report about gender equality in sport coaching.

The broad aims of the research are as follows:

• Evaluate existing (formal and non-formal) training and education schemes for coaches in view of their accessibility for women and identify situations that promote equality and equal treatment in coach education, including gender specific requirements, conditions for women and men as professional and voluntary coaches.
• Evaluate their training elements/educational modules on gender equality (if they exist and indicate where they don’t).
• Through the mapping review, identify good practices with regards to accessibility for women and gender equality modules.

Key findings

The mapping review indicates that the most common type of approach aimed at promoting equality in coach education is women-only courses. This approach appears to work well in increasing levels of attendance amongst women and allowing women to overcome initial self-confidence issues. The case studies suggest that women-only courses have worked well where the numbers of women coaches are starting from a low base and where there is a particular perception that coaching is a male–dominated profession. However some federations prefer a quota-based approach as it is regarded as more beneficial for women to take part in mixed programmes as they progress (while ensuring that a certain proportion of places are allocated to women).

The mapping review has revealed very few examples of programmes which explicitly seek to provide more accessible education activities for women through more flexible timetabling or childcare facilities. A more common approach in improving accessibility is through the involvement of women tutors and coach developers.

The research suggests that the development of gender equality modules has the potential to support female coaches in their experiences of coaching as they prepare women to deal with issues of discrimination in the workplace. They also allow for men to have a better understanding of what the key issues surrounding discrimination are. The case studies indicated however that further development work is needed to embed such approaches in mainstream coaching education.

The more detailed case study research has also highlighted a number of common lessons in the implementation of coaching education programmes for women:

• The benefits of having strong involvement and commitment of high profile coaches (men and women) in coaching education programmes for women.
• The benefits of linking coaching education actions and related empowerment and mentoring activities.
• The importance of neutral sport coaching bodies having a lead role in engaging a wide range of sport federations in innovative and gender-related coaching education programmes.
• The possibilities for European federations to work in partnership with national federations to develop coaching education opportunities for women (for example through funding provision but also ensuring the commitment of national federations to support women with coaching opportunities post-training).
• The role of national sport agencies in the development and evaluation of gender education modules which are relevant to education and training in all sports.