ABSTRACT
Participation rates in sport in Germany have increased over the past decades and the embedded gender profile has changed as well. Nowadays only in the age group 16 to 24 years old are fewer girls and women physically active than boys and men; vice versa, among older people between 45 and 75 years old, more women are now active than men. Despite increased participation in organised sport as well (female proportion in membership is about 40%), women are underrepresented in leadership positions at all levels of organised sport in Germany. Their representation in boards varies between 17% (as average representation in boards of NSFs) and 26% (as average representation in sports clubs). The chapter describes the development of gender-equality policies and women’s representation in decision-making and leadership positions in the voluntary sector of organised sport in Germany and finally interprets these findings against the backdrop of theoretical approaches.
