ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore and critically reflect on how European sport organisations included in this book, approach the problem of a lack of gender diversity on their boards of directors. The analyses show large country-related and sport-specific differences, reflecting differences in the development of policies for gender equality in society at large as well as in sport. Together the various chapters reveal a relationship among gender-equality discourses, implementation of strategies and the level of gender diversity in NSF boards. In countries that had the lowest ratio of female representation, gender equality policies had seldom been on the agenda. Men were assumed to be “natural” leaders. In other countries the problem of lack of gender diversity was situated within a discourse of meritocracy and framed as an issue of competence. The countries with the highest female representation on their boards have emphasised the use of democratic strategies, such as gender quotas. The chapter concludes with support for the implementation of gender quotas as a fair and efficient way to achieve gender diversity in European sport.
