ABSTRACT
A significant milestone for women’s presence in sport governance was reached in 2013 when football’s international governing body, FIFA, welcomed Lydia Nsekera, President of Burundi Football Association, to its Executive Committee. For the first time in its 100-year-old history, a woman was elected to take a seat at the FIFA executive table alongside 24 male members (FIFA, 2013). Since women and girls gained access to football clubs several decades ago, football has emerged as one the fastest growing participation sports for females. The first Women’s World Cup in football took place in 1991 in China, demonstrating evidence of its popularity at a global level. While participation rates for women playing football have grown exponentially, women’s participation in the governance of the sport remains a serious challenge. The election of the first woman on the FIFA executive was an important step; however, with only one woman out of 25 directors (4 per cent), women remain markedly under-represented. On a wider scale, it appears that gender diversity in sport governance is a critical issue not only for FIFA, but also for many international sport federations (IFs).
