GENEVA: Women holding key roles in international sports federations has increased significantly since 2018 – rising from 18.3 per cent to 32.02 per cent. However, leadership at the highest levels remains heavily male-dominated.
These are among the findings of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) 2026 survey titled ‘Female representatives at the highest executive organs of international sports federations’, which assessed women representation across the 30 International Federations of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
The survey noted that three out of 30 world bodies (10 per cent) had women presidents – Badminton World Federation (Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul), International Golf Federation (Annika Sorenstam), and International Table Tennis Federation (Petra Sörling).
Meanwhile, five out of the 30 world bodies (16.67 per cent) assessed had women secretaries-general.
“Leadership at the highest levels remains heavily male-dominated. The 2026 data reinforces that while SIGAWomen’s work has accelerated awareness and participation, structural reforms are urgently needed to sustain and increase progress,” the report said.
SIGA noted that women remain underrepresented in leadership.
“Only three of 30 federations (10 per cent) have female presidents, and five (16.67 per cent have female chief executive officers or secretaries-general, highlighting persistent barriers at the highest decision-making levels,” it said.
Progress is uneven across federations, with some approaching meaningful parity while others remain far below acceptable levels, reflecting disparities in governance culture and inclusion policies.
SIGA, the Geneva-based body that promotes sports integrity, added that federations with explicit diversity policies, inclusion strategies and measurable targets consistently show higher female representation, proving systemic change is achievable. However, it said urgent action is required.
“Without stronger commitments, parity in sport governance risks remaining decades away. Federations must adopt measurable policies, leadership pathways and structural reforms to ensure women can fully shape the future of sports.”
The survey also highlighted the election of Kirsty Coventry as President of the International Olympic Committee in 2025 as a historic breakthrough for gender equality in global sport governance.
“For the first time, the Olympic Movement is led by a woman – a powerful symbol that barriers can be broken and leadership pathways can open. Yet such milestones remain rare across international federations, where decision-making structures continue to be predominantly male.
“The era of incremental change must give way to structural transformation. International federations, Olympic bodies, governments and partners must implement measurable governance reforms, diversity targets and leadership pathways that ensure women can fully participate in decision-making. When leadership is inclusive, governance becomes stronger. When opportunity is equal, talent flourishes. And when sport truly reflects the world it inspires, its power becomes limitless.”
Katie Simmonds, SIGA’s global chief commercial officer and SIGAWomen chair, said it is the collective responsibility of women in leadership to share their experiences with the next generation.
“Storytelling in safe spaces is empowering, resulting in systemic change promoting networking and job creation. Equally, male leaders need to create and sustain opportunities for women, both at leadership level and in nurturing talent. Simple. Straightforward. Measurable. Achievable,” she said.
“The aspiring female leaders also need to give and not just take. They need to invest time in developing their network, learning from those in senior positions willing to exchange their expertise and experiences, and at times step outside their comfort zones,” she added.