Reference:
Adriaanse, J. (December 11, 2016). Women are missing in sport and leadership, and it’s time that changed. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/women-are-missing-in-sport-leadership-and-its-time-that-changed-69979
Summary:
Although women have seats at the table where major world economic and financial decisions are made, they have yet to acquire top level leadership roles in sport. The IOC and FIFA, arguably the two most influential sport organizations, have never been female led. Globally, key leadership and governance roles in sport organizations are held by men (men=93% of chair/president roles and 81% of CEO positions). Sports with a female CEO tend to be low participation, non-Olympic sports. Key finding reported in this article is that women only hold 16.3% of directorships across international governing sport bodies (up only 4.2% from 2012) and only 7 of 70 sport bodies have achieved critical mass of female directors (30% representation and minimum of 3 women). Critical mass refers to the threshold required for a group to achieve trust and influence and avoid the pitfalls of stereotyping and fierce scrutiny. Having only one or two women (tokenism) on a board does not change the gender dynamic in a meaningful way and the female perspective is not afforded adequate credibility to challenge pervasive, sometimes outdated, dominant organizational norms.
Reference:
Armour, N. (Host). (2020, June 23). Muffet McGraw is tired of “firsts” (2) [Audio podcast episode]. In Changing the Game with Nancy Armour. USA Today Sports. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/muffet-mcgraw-is-tired-of-firsts/id1519521685?i=1000479226466
Summary:
McGraw is disappointed with the lack of female coaches in the women’s game, noting the decline in numbers of female coaches since Title IX. As a staunch feminist, McGraw promoted those values as part of her coaching (e.g., quizzing her players about how many women are on the supreme court) and parenting (e.g., exposing her son to her female athletes and staff). Similarly to Doris Burke, McGraw notes the importance of exposing both men and women to strong female role models in coaching and in leadership.
Reference:
Armour, N. (Host). (2020, July 2). Doris Burke is shaping the next generation of sports fans (4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Changing the Game with Nancy Armour. USA Today Sports. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doris-burke-is-shaping-the-next-generation-of-sports-fans/id1519521685?i=1000481751600
Summary:
Doors were initially opened through women’s sports and excelling in women’s sport created the awareness of Burke’s skill and created opportunities in men’s sport. Burke notes that the support and advocacy from a few key men, in decision making roles and with large platforms, helped to advance her career, and notes that men are key in the fight to advance women in sport. Burke has become an important role model, as children of both genders have grown up watching NBA basketball with a female analyst.
Reference:
Armstrong, L. (2021, March 8). Playing on the ceiling: 30 of the most influential Canadian women in sports. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/2021/03/08/playing-on-the-ceiling-30-of-the-most-influential-canadian-women-in-sports.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=OpinionStaff&utm_content=canadianwomeninsport
Summary:
There are a group of powerful women in Canadian sport, who are doing things from disrupting the hockey analytics world, leading the charge on anti-racism and pay equity, involvement in youth sport, and leading the charge during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the stories of these women are inspiring, they are a reminder of the change that still needs to be made, as we are still at a point where, for example, a female player agent at the NHL is considered noteworthy. Additionally, while these women must be celebrated, celebrating alone is not enough to change the structures in place that currently hold women back. But if you can’t see it, you can’t be it, so this article highlights female role models for the next generation to see. The women highlighted include Tricia Smith (COC president), Kayla Grey (TSN anchor), Hayley Wickenheiser (assistant director of player development, Toronto Maple Leafs), and Marnie McBean (Canada’s chef de mission for Tokyo 2020).
Reference:
Associated Press. (2021, March 2). Tokyo Olympics add 12 women to executive board to reach 42%. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/30989069/tokyo-olympics-add-12-women-executive-board-reach-42-symbolic-gesture
Summary:
The Tokyo Olympic committee appointed 12 women to their executive board, bringing the total up to 19 (42%), which is up from the previous 20%. The changes come after the president of the organizing committee changed to be a female, who stated the urgency surrounding gender equity, to restore faith in the organizing committee. This case highlights that equity change can be made quickly if we decide it is urgent.
Reference:
Azzi, A. (2021, February 7). Super Bowl LV: Meet the women making NFL history in 2021. NBC Sports. https://onherturf.nbcsports.com/2021/02/07/super-bowl-lv-meet-the-women-making-nfl-history-in-2021/
Summary:
Sarah Thomas is the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant coaches Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust are the second and third women coaches to reach a Super Bowl. As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to win the Super Bowl, Javadifar and Locust are the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl.
Reference:
Banwell, J. (2019, March 6). Breaking up the old boys’ club by elevating women coaches. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/breaking-up-the-old-boys-club-by-elevating-women-coaches-112639
Summary:
The Canadian federal government has set a target to achieve gender equity by 2035, and as part of that target, there is a federal working group for women and girls in sport. At the time of writing, only 16% of head coaches at both university and national team levels are women. Women face several barriers to break through, so while women’s sport participation on the whole is increasing, the number of women coaches is actually decreasing. Sponsorship, which is mentorship with the added bonus of advocacy, could be a solution to the problem. Additionally, sponsors are different from mentors in that they must occupy a senior position with decision making power, which they can use to advocate for their mentee. Sponsorship could be the most important consideration in advancing women coaches, as it is something that has seen great success in the corporate world.
Reference:
Bennett, J. (2019, June 17). What makes a leader? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/business/women-power-leadership.html
Summary:
Historically women had been told to act like men to advance into leadership positions, however, many women leaders who are doing things their own way, mixing qualities like empathy and compassion with concrete action (e.g., Jacina Ardern). However, women still face the double bind, where demonstrating traits associated with male leadership (e.g., assertiveness) leads them to be called aggressive; yet when they display typically female traits (e.g., warmth) they are viewed as pushovers. Therefore, women must practice ‘gender judo’ in which they combine stereotypically feminine and masculine behaviours.
Reference:
Bucsis, A. (Host). (2020, October 19). A roadmap for the rollercoaster with COC president Tricia Smith [Audio podcast episode]. In Player’s Own Voice. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/202-players-own-voice/episode/15804001-a-roadmap-for-the-rollercoaster-with-coc-president-tricia-smith
Summary:
Smith is president of the Canadian Olympic, IOC member, and member of the international rowing federation. On the international stage, with rowing, Smith is working on projects that advocate for gender equity in the sport. Other projects Smith is lending her leadership and voice to include: being part of Canada’s decision not to send a team to Tokyo in 2020, work to create equal access to all sports for youth, and anti-doping.
Reference:
Butler, S. (2021, March 5). 2 Canadian leaders on front lines to ensure progress for women doesn’t slide back. CBC Sports. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/2-canadian-leaders-on-front-lines-to-ensure-forward-progress-for-women-doesn-t-slide-back-1.5938700
Summary:
Eva Havaris, executive vice-president of strategy and operations/chief of staff for the Canadian Premier League franchise York FC notes that as a woman in sport leadership she is constantly having to prove herself. Therefore, she has been providing mentorship for emerging female leaders in the sport world. Other female leaders in sport have brilliantly navigated the pandemic, including the WNBA and NWSL commissioners. Other successes in the past year include females staking ownership in NWSL teams, Kim Ng becoming the first female general manager in any of the men’s North American sports leagues, Becky Hammon became the first female to coach a men’s major professional sport (after head coach Popovich was ejected), and 8 women coaching in the NFL, including two who won the Super Bowl. Despite these achievements, there is still room to grow. Allison Sandmeyer-Graves notes that while these anecdotes are exciting, they do not necessarily mean that the structural changes needed for true equity have taken place. Therefore, she cautions, while we celebrate these achievements we must not forget there is still work to be done. Some potential barriers for women in sport leadership now are limiting language (e.g., “I’m not confident enough”), and the lack of representation of women in sport leadership positions.
Reference:
Callaghan, J. (2021, January 29). A Canadian Woman is revolutionizing America’s game, and the Super Bowl is the next stage. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2021/01/29/a-canadian-woman-is-revolutionizing-americas-game-and-the-super-bowl-is-the-next-stage
Summary:
Sam Rapoport is the NFL’s senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has spearheaded initiatives such as the NFL’s Women’s careers in football forum. Women’s place in football is growing, with 2020 being the first time a female coached at the Super Bowl. Now, in 2021, the Super Bowl will feature 2 female coaches and a female referee, and of 6 of the 8 divisional teams that made the playoffs had female coaches. While Rapoport is happy with the progress, she wants to normalize women in the game so it is no longer headline news to have a female on the sidelines at a game.
Reference:
Campbell, M. (2019, March 12). Building a pipeline of female sports leaders. The Sustainability Report. https://sustainabilityreport.com/2019/03/12/building-a-pipeline-of-female-sports-leaders/
Summary:
Educating future leaders and developing a talent pipeline are necessary strategic pathways to increasing female representation in sport leadership roles. Checklist for change presented by Women in Sport is discussed. Some sport organizations, such as rugby, have had to “fast-track” their gender equity initiatives because of significant enrolment of female athletes. Initiatives presented include extending leadership scholarships, implementing 60-40 gender quotas, increasing council member seats and filling them with women and establishing mentoring partnerships between senior-level board members and potential female board members. These initiatives do not tackle the underlying issues of workplace culture, unconscious bias, group think, tendency to perpetuate power in the hands of a few or lack of appreciation for diversity as a business imperative. “Homogeneity stifles innovation”.
Reference:
Canadian Press. (2020, January 22). Raptors’ Ujiri proud to see women playing big role in team’s successes. Sportsnet. https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-ujiri-proud-see-women-playing-big-role-teams-success/
Summary:
The Raptors currently have 14 women on their staff, up from the 1 that worked for the team when Ujiri joined the team in 2013. Ujiri notes that the women were not hired simply to improve the number of females on staff, because they are the best at what they do. Now, the Raptors are working to make gender equity in sport normal, rather than a standout story.
Reference:
Canadian Women & Sport. (2020). Women in sport leadership: 2020 snapshot. https://womenandsport.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Women-in-Leadership-Snapshot_2019-2020_Canadian-Women-Sport.pdf
Summary:
39% of board members in Canadian Sport are women, with 28% of board chairs being female, and 43% of Canadian sport organizations having 40-60% female representation on their board. 42% of CEOs of Canadian sport organizations are women, with 44% of the CEO’s direct reports being women. However, one in five organizations have no women on their senior staff.
Reference:
Canadian Women & Sport. (2021, February 22). Forward together: Sport leaders share their gender equity journeys [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkyinG_kPE
Summary:
The individuals on the panel participated in the pilot of CWS’ gender equity playbook, which is three parts comprising an online e-learning module, a gender equity in sport assessment, and the gender equity consultation service. Panellets represent Alpine Canada, Baseball Canada, Baseball Quebec, and the Sport for Life society. When implementing the work as a national organization (i.e., Baseball Canada) also need to bring in the provincial sport organizations to complete the same work - for the trickle down. Diversity is about bringing diverse thoughts, expressions, and ideas, so bringing in outside perspectives will bring those hard conversations that we may not have internally. Important to have a systematic and measured approach to things, instead of ad hoc approaches. However, when using a systematic approach such as this program, make sure you are engaging in the approach in a meaningful way, and avoiding it turning into a box checking exercise.
Reference:
Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Gallop, C. (2020, April 1). 7 leadership lessons men can learn from women. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/04/7-leadership-lessons-men-can-learn-from-women
Summary:
A key problem in the dearth of women in leadership is not a lack of competent women who need to act like men, but rather too few barriers to prevent incompetent men from reaching top ranks. Gendered differences in leadership styles are either negligible, or favour women. Therefore, the authors propose that men could instead adopt some of the following ‘feminine’ leadership traits: lean in only when you have the competencies to back it up; cultivate self-awareness; adopt a transformational leadership style, rather than transactional; put others first; empathize; elevate others; and demonstrate humility.
Reference:
Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Wittenberg-Cox, A. (2020, June 26). Will the pandemic reshape notions of female leadership? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/06/will-the-pandemic-reshape-notions-of-female-leadership
Summary:
During the COVID-19 pandemic countries with female leaders have suffered six times fewer deaths than countries led by men. The success of women leaders during this crisis could shine a light on differing leadership styles and be the catalyst to change society’s perception of what successful leadership looks like.
Reference:
Coaching Association of Canada. (n.d.). Recruitment and retention. https://coach.ca/recruitment-and-retention
Summary:
The following strategies have been outlined as ways to support women in coaching: mentoring, child care for female coaches, recruitment of female coaches, improved working conditions for female coaches, and increased coach education opportunities for women.
Reference:
Coury, S., Huang, J., Kumar, A., Prince, S., Krivkovich, A., & Yee, L. (2020, September 30). Women in the workplace 2020. McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
Summary:
Women, and especially women of colour, were more likely to be laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black women, who already faced additional challenges to career advancement, now must also face the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities and manage the weight of civil unrest and systemic racism. As a result, 1 in 4 women are considering either downshifting their career or leaving the workforce entirely. But companies need to retain female leaders, as companies with women in leadership can experience 50% higher profit margins, and female leaders are more likely than male to champion diversity and inclusion initiatives. The report also found that progress toward gender parity is still slow, with female representation in the C-suite only increasing 4% (from 17% to 21%) since 2015. Women of colour are even further underrepresented, making up 3% of the C-suite. Black women, who are experiencing increased burdens in 2020, are not receiving increased support at work. Ways to improve support for black women are to face challenges head on; and foster a culture that supports and values black women.
Reference:
Dhir, A., & Kaplan, S. (2017, October 6). Women in the boardroom: Has the time for quotas arrived? The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/women-in-the-boardroomhas-the-time-for-quotas-arrived/article36517480/
Summary:
The Ontario Securities' Commission implemented a ‘comply or explain’ rule regarding female representation on boards, to be tested over a 3 year period. At the conclusion of the 3 year trial, female representation only increased from 11% to 14%, and 40% of companies still had no women. The authors note “quotas often have the net effect of increasing overall quality by getting the best of all populations rather than digging deeper into only one population.”
Reference:
Doolittle, R. (2021, January 29). To stop gender discrimination at work, Canada has all the laws it needs - but the system enforcing them is broken. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-power-gap-broken-pipeline/
Summary:
“For employees, fighting a human-rights case is costly, risky and time-consuming. For their bosses, confidential settlements and small penalties make it easy to walk away from bad behaviour unscathed.” In Canada, gender discrimination is illegal, with decades-old laws against sexual harrassment, pay inequity, and using sexism or maternity to influence promotions. Despite these laws, women are still experiencing gender discrimination in the workplace, as the laws are not enforced. This leaves women to weigh the risks of complaining against the minimal rewards. Fighting these issues typically goes through the human rights tribunal, an arduous process that can take a minimum of 2 years before the case goes through, and very little damages are awarded once the case finally goes through. As a result, businesses are not motivated to change, as they can write off such small fees as the cost of doing business, as the proceedings occur behind closed doors and do not draw any media attention. “The consequence is that women are choosing to avoid filing complaints.” This means that part of the reason women do not rise up is that businesses are allowed to break the law and discriminate without consequences.
Reference:
Doolittle, R., & Wang, C. (2021, January 21). The power gap: Women are outnumbered and outranked at Canada’s vital public institutions, globe analysis finds. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-power-gap-main/
Summary:
“The Globe and Mail has found that women aren’t only underrepresented at the apex of the corporate ladder, but on the many rungs below, as supervisors, managers, senior managers, directors, executive directors and vice-presidents, as well as deans and professors.” Additionally, of the women that do make it to leadership roles, the majority is overwhelmingly white. Because women overwhelmingly juggle the unpaid labour at home, this can decrease their capacity to take on more at work, and they lose ground to men in the race for promotions. When workplaces were divided into salary bands, it was shown that women’s representation decreases as salary increases. The authors note that increasing gender diversity in an organization works better when there are women represented at all levels, not just at the highest levels of management.
Reference:
Doolittle, R., & Wang, C. (2021, January 21). This is the power gap: Explore the investigative series and data. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-power-gap/
Summary:
It’s been decades since some significant changes came in Canada for women, such as legislation banning discrimination on the basis on sex in the workplace, and women outnumbering men in University classes. However, since some of these measures have been put in place, progress has stalled - with the last change in wage gap coming 10 years ago. After a 2 and a half-year investigation in the public sector, the Globe and Mail team has concluded that one of the reasons women lag behind men in the workforce is a power gap: women are outnumbered, outranked, and out earned by men at the top, and on the way to the top - meaning women’s careers are getting stalled at mid-level management. Men outnumbered women at 86% of institutions, out earned them 68% of the time, and in executive leadership outnumbered women 71% of the time. Data collected in 2018, so given COVID numbers are likely worse now. Some very striking figures in article. Globe argues it is not a glass ceiling women contend with, but rather, a leaky pipeline in which the leak has sprung rather close to the bottom.
Reference:
Doolittle, R., & Wang, C. (2021, January 21). Why don’t women advance through the corporate world like men do? Seven reasons why, and three women’s stories. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-power-gap-profiles/
Summary:
The article outlines seven reasons women are not advancing the way men do. Women are penalized for having children, both in their own career opportunities and pay, and as a result being the one who has to take the unpaid leave as the husband typically earns more. Women face stigma and backlash when they thrive male roles and leadership styles. Women are judged more harshly, and as a result face greater consequences than men for the same mistake. Additionally, before they even get to work women are either unsuccessful or penalized for negotiating increased compensation. Women of multiple minorities are even worse off than white women. Finally, the authors note that the current system also penalizes men who do demonstrate traditional hegemonic masculinity, leaving the system serving very few people.
Reference:
Doolittle, R., & Wang, C. (2021, January 22). Corporate Canada is still a boys’ club, data analysis shows - and COVID-19 could make it more so. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-power-gap-tsx/
Summary:
4% of chief executives of Canadian publicly traded companies are women (9/223). While there is a push for diversity in the private sector, it appears the public sector still remains the exclusive domain of white men. “I can’t believe it’s 2021, and we’re still having the same conversation I had in 1975. It’s just shocking,” says Maureen Jensen. Boards of companies have slightly better female representation than executives. The pandemic is threatening the already meagre progress women have seen, with women’s participation in the workforce hitting a 30 year low in April. McKinsey research suggests that COVID could set women’s progress back by a decade. Of course, this creates a ripple effect where women leaving the workforce at all levels will result in an even greater decrease of women in leadership. The current Canadian policy ‘comply or explain’ is not cutting it, because the majority of companies explain they are lacking women as a result of their merit-based vetting system. Many companies currently do not have targets for gender equity. While the federal government has shied away from mandating gender quotas, they did put forth the 50/30 challenge, encouraging companies to have 50% female and 30% other minorities (e.g., disabilities, BIPOC) represented in their staff, to represent Canadian demographics. Progress has been so slow, people are starting to leave their concerns about tokenism behind and advocate for quotas, at least in the interim, so women can ‘catch up.’ In addition to the mass exodus of women from the workforce, they are having a harder time reentering. “Employers’ commitment to diversity, according to McKinsey, has not actually resulted in meaningful progress in women’s representation.”
Reference:
Eagly, A., & Carli, L.L. (2007, September). Women and the labyrinth of leadership. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2007/09/women-and-the-labyrinth-of-leadership
Summary:
The glass ceiling metaphor is inaccurate for several reasons: it proposes an absolute barrier at the top, which has been disproven by some women reaching the top; it implies a straight path to the top with equal opportunities to mid-level positions for women, which is not the case; and it suggests that women are being misled about their impediments as it cannot be seen from a distance, despite women being well aware of the barriers to their success. Therefore, Eagly and Carli propose an alternative metaphor: the leadership labyrinth. The labyrinth represents the complex journey towards a goal worth striving for, and most importantly, highlights that goal attainment is possible. Eagly and Carli outline the following possible obstacles that comprise the labyrinth: prejudice, resistance to women’s leadership, the double bind, childbearing and domestic responsibilities, and lack of social capital.
Reference:
Heroux, D., & Strashin, J. (2020, July 15). Sideline: How diversity in Canada's sports leadership falls short. CBC Sports. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/diversity-canadian-sports-leadership-falls-short-1.5648402
Summary:
This article addresses the need for more representation in sport leadership from visible minorities, but exclusively focuses on men as prospective leaders. Women are not even specifically mentioned. There is a decidedly male orientation to the concern over diversity in sport leadership at Canadian post-secondary institutions. CBC examined nearly 400 positions at Canadian universities, only about 10 per cent were held by Black, Indigenous or persons of colour (BIPOC). According to a visual audit conducted, only one of the 56 schools has a non-white athletic director. The predominant message is white hires white. "If you have a white athletic director and a white [university] president and they're making the key hires in your athletic department, the people they know are more than likely to be white." The article notes that the lack of non-white leaders may not be due to overt racism, although certainly one cannot rule that out, but persistent reliance on personal and professional networks does limit selcetion.
Reference:
Hideg, I. (2021, March 8). For too long, talk of gender equality has excluded men - let’s change that. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-for-too-long-talk-of-gender-equality-has-excluded-men-lets-change-that/
Summary:
While efforts have been made to improve gender equity, including the #MeToo movement, and Justin Trudeau’s gender equal cabinet in 2015, there has been minimal success. Traditional gender roles still persist, most notably an unequal division of household labour. Due to this, men need to step into the picture, to support women in the household, which can then support advancement of women in the workplace. This work can be done in the workplace, for example companies creating policies that allow for and encourage men to shoulder some of the domestic load, for example creating parental leave for males. Additionally, we need to denormalize the culture of overwork, which may not be feasible for many working mothers.
Reference:
Ely, R.J., & Padavic, I. (2020, March). What’s really holding women back? The Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back
Summary:
73% of men and 85% of women surveyed invoke the ‘work vs. family balance’ (i.e., success requires long hours that women will not work because of family) as an explanation for why women are not advancing in the workplace. Essentially, the narratives companies tell about their lack of gender equity do not match their data. The data shows, for example, that while women and men both face family pressures, women are encouraged to pull back hours and shift their projects, while men are expected to keep overworking. Another example, the firm asked for help dealing with their ‘higher turnover rate’ in women, but the turnover rate was actually the same. “in its attempt to solve the problem of women’s stalled advancement, the firm was perpetuating it.” Another contradiction to the family narrative, there are childless women in the firm who are still passed over for promotions. “What really held women back was the crushing culture of overwork...penalized women because, unlike men, many of them take accommodations, which exact a steep career price.” The authors proposed that to address gender equity the firm needed to address its long-hours problem. All of these problems were driven by an underlying unconscious bias that women are fit for family and men are fit for work, which then allows men to feel good about choosing work, and makes women to feel poorly if they don’t choose family.
Reference:
Grant, A. (2021, February 18). Who won’t shut up in meetings? Men say it’s women. It’s not. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/02/18/men-interrupt-women-tokyo-olympics/
Summary:
Yoshiro Mori resigned from his role as president of the Tokyo Olympic committee after making remarks that you cannot increase the number of women on boards because they talk too much. As an organizational psychologist, Grant turned the data, which highlights that it is actually men who talk too much, especially those in power. This can be attributed to gender bias, as women were afraid to speak up for fear of negative labelling (which is what happened to those who did speak up). In groups of 5 making decisions, there has to be a group composition of 4 women to 1 man for women to spend as much time speaking as the lone man (i.e., when it’s 3 women to 2 men, the male group still owns the airtime by 36%). Grant then proposes that if someone (e.g., Morri) thinks women “talk too much” it’s because we’ve been condition to speak so little. In addition to gender bias, problems that prevent women from talking are dubbed ‘manologues,’ ‘manterrupting,’ and ‘mansplaining.’ Finally, Grant notes that he is able to raise this issue as a white male, whereas if a woman had raised the same issue, she would come across as whining and nepotistic.
Reference:
Grant, T. (2021, March 8). How can we bridge the gender power gap? Six ways employers, governments and men can do better. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-how-can-we-bridge-the-gender-power-gap-six-ways-employers-governments/
Summary:
The Globe and Mail’s Power Gap series has highlighted numerous reasons why women are lagging behind in the workplace, including gender bias, the double bind, a legal system that does not support complaints, and a lack of accountability for not being equitable. The Globe and Mail outlines six ways gender equity can be improved: the execution of transparency regarding pay gaps, the implementation of gender quotas, the creation of a more robust federal gender equity body, the promotion of flexible work, the inclusion and engagement of men in this conversation, and finally, the provision of affordable child care.
Reference:
Hamilton, M. (2020, October 16). Lauren Fleshman’s feminist approach to coaching. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/sports/lauren-fleshmans-feminist-approach-to-coaching.html
Summary:
Lauren Fleshman, a former pro runner turned coach, is on a mission to change the way women view pro running. She wants to help female athletes see themselves beyond their speed and their looks, to transcend the win at all costs culture of running and help women reclaim their power. Fleshman’s approach to coaching was borne out of her own experiences as an athlete, where making weight her primary focus contributed to multiple injuries and missed opportunities, meanwhile, Fleshman was watching multiple female runners around her suffering from similar issues. To flourish, Fleshman said, “female athletes need an environment that honors their physiology, and acknowledges and counters the realities of sexism.” Fleshman is now using her role with the Littlewing team to change the narrative, focusing instead on athlete physical, mental, and emotional health
Reference:
Hyslop, E., & Rotz, S. (Host). (2020, May 24). Hockey legend Cassie Campbell-Pascall on the importance of female role models, her team Canada story, and being a woman in the broadcast booth (19) [Audio podcast episode]. In The GIST of It. The GIST. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-19-hockey-legend-cassie-campbell-pascall-on-importance/id1496908555?i=1000475558974
Summary:
Campbell-Pascall was Captain of Team Canada for back to back Olympic gold medals in women’s ice hockey, and is currently a hockey broadcaster, notably she was the first woman in hockey broadcasting. Emphasizing leadership, she promotes the importance of youth sport as a space for learning leadership, and has used relationships with sponsors (e.g., Scotiabank) to help grow the sport of hockey for women and girls. Additionally, she speaks of leading by example, in wanting to do anything to win, and through humility.
Reference:
International Olympic Committee. (2018). IOC gender equality review project. https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/News/2018/03/IOC-Gender-Equality-Report-March-2018.pdf#_ga=2.54784171.1457558048.1609952034-1969720339.1609952034
Summary:
The IOC has identified five themes with regard to gender equality: sport; portrayal; governance; funding; and HR, monitoring, and communications. Recommendations are then grouped under each of the five themes. For sport, recommendations range from having gender balanced participation of athletes, coaches, and officials in Olympic Games, to ensuring male and female athletes have a balanced competition schedule. Portrayal recommendations centre on ensuring female athletes receive equal media coverage. Funding recommendations advocate for funding allocations to women’s sport initiatives at an IOC and NOC level, and for equal prize money across genders. Governance recommendations focus on increasing: the pipeline of females who may work in sport governance, at IOC, IF, and NOC levels; the number of women in positions of influence and decision making; and the number of women in leadership roles. Finally, the HR recommendations include the adoption of diverse and inclusive organizational cultures, implementation of a monitoring system to track progress towards gender equity, and a communications plan to share the work being done.
Reference:
International Paralympic Committee. (2010, October). IPC women in sport leadership toolkit: Increasing opportunities for women in Paralympic sport. https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/130130154714620_2010_10_01++IPC+Women+in+Sport+Leadership+Toolkit.pdf
Summary:
Since 2003, the IPC has had a women in sport committee, aimed at addressing the low number females competing in, coaching, officiating, and in leadership positions in para sport. The toolkit outlines several steps to take action towards increasing gender equity in para sport. The first phase is to take stock of the current situation in one’s sport organization, including identification of goals, barriers, and key stakeholders involved. As part of the initial analysis, plans for achieving the stated goals, including key messages and an evaluation strategy, should be devised. Next, organizations should conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Possible actions that can be taken to achieve gender equity goals include: creation of female coaching clinics, mentorship programs, establishment of women in sport committees, the design of programs that target women and girls, and the adoption of a diversity policy or code of ethics.
Reference:
Kerr, G., Banwell, J., & Stirling, A. (2018, April 17). The role of sport administrators in advancing women in coaching through mentorship. SIRC. https://sirc.ca/blog/the-role-of-sport-administrators-in-advancing-women-in-coaching-through-mentorship/
Summary:
Despite an increase in female participation in sport, there has not been an increase in female coaches, with just 25% of coaches across all levels in Canada being female, as of 2015. One potential strategy to advance more women into coaching is mentorship. In addition to a strong relationship between mentor and mentee, sport administrators play a key role in the success of mentorship, through provision of support, guidance, and resources.
Reference:
Lebel, K., Pegoraro, A., Antunovic, D., Lough, N., & LaVoi, N. (2020. December 20). What pro sports should learn from resilient women athletes post-pandemic. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/what-pro-sports-should-learn-from-resilient-women-athletes-post-pandemic-151183?utm_source=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_campaign=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_medium=referral
Summary:
Supporting women’s sport is still viewed as ‘the right thing to do’ rather than as the smart investment opportunity it is. If women’s sport were more easily accessible to watch, viewership would increase. This was seen in 2020 when WNBA viewership increased by 68%, at a time when ratings for men’s professional leagues (i.e., NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) all declined. Professional women athletes are exemplars of resilience during COVID, because they’ve had to ‘do more with less’ for years, making them poised to thrive in a pandemic that left other leagues reeling. Statistics show there is a 468% increase in tweet volume around representation, and women in sports ads are seen as 148% more empowering than sports ads with men. COVID has exposed weaknesses in the traditional sport model, leaving women as an example for innovation as they’ve had to be creative to achieve success in an inequitable world for years.
Reference:
McGran, K. (2021, February 19). ‘There is a change in the wind.’ How black girl hockey club emerged as a player in the push for diversity. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/analysis/2021/02/19/there-is-a-change-in-the-wind-how-black-girl-hockey-club-emerged-as-a-player-in-the-push-for-diversity.html
Summary:
Renee Hess is the founder of Black Girl Hockey Club, which has emerged as a critical player in the push for diversity in hockey through the group’s strong social media presence. The group was borne from Hess noticing the lack of fans that looked like her, and wanting to create a safe space for those that do to watch and talk about hockey. With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the club has now partnered with the NHL and its teams to promote and increase the presence of Black Girls in hockey. As an example of their advocacy, the club hosted the “Get Uncomfortable” campaign, which was used to hold teams accountable to elevating black voices.
Reference:
McMahon, T. (2021, February 23). Women landing more leadership jobs, but racialized, Indigenous, and disabled women lag: Study. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-women-landing-more-leadership-jobs-but-racialized-indigenous-and/
Summary:
Women have seen a 3% increase in representation on boards (37% to 40%) and in executive positions (28% to 31%), from March 2019 to September 2020. But those gains are mostly for white women. In the same time period, racialized women rose from 7 to 10%, Indigenous women from 1.5% to 3%, and women with disabilities from 1.8% to 2%. The reason cited for such low numbers of racialized women and with disabilities in the C-suite is because there are such low numbers further down the pipeline. Note, crown corporations have been more successful in achieving gender parity, because the set specific targets and then put strategies in place to achieve them. Therefore, it is being argued that public corporations should also have to set public diversity targets and release diversity data, so they can be held accountable to changing.
Reference:
Murphy, H. (2018, March 16). Picture a leader. Is she a woman? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/health/women-leadership-workplace.html
Summary:
An exercise asking workshop participants to draw a leader resulted in participants (both male and female) drawing a male leader, uncovering the unconscious bias that still persists and prevents women from reaching leadership positions. Women experience a ‘backlash effect’ where they receive negative responses to any show of assertiveness, which is typically associated with strong male leadership. Conversely, characteristics such as intelligence and level headedness are more associated with female leaders. Even when women demonstrate ‘typical’ leadership behaviours (e.g., assertiveness) people do not recognize those behaviours due to their stereotypes, leading to confirmation bias that women are not well suited to be leaders. These stereotypes can be combated by exposing more people to women in leadership positions.
Reference:
Sportsnet. (2020, March 3). Teresa Resch brings leadership, creativity to Toronto Raptor [Video]. Sportsnet. https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/teresa-resch-brings-leadership-creativity-toronto-raptors/
Summary:
Teresa Resch is vice president of basketball operations and player development with the Toronto Raptors. When offered a job with the Raptors, Resch made it clear that she did not want to be working as an executive assistant, as she feared that could be a barrier, and instead advocated for herself to bring value in a leadership role. Resch is proud of her ability to be a role model for young girls
Reference:
Sportsnet. (2020, July 6). Kim Davis On Forward Momentum Of 'Hockey Is For Everyone' | Top Of Her Game. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QsuuiCOTE&list=PLPFrCoahjbNxkREwCKX8-l3X817_a0vip&index=3
Summary:
Kim Davis is the NHL’s executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives, and legislative affairs. In her work at the NHL, Davis is striving to increase inclusion, and availability of hockey to all communities, with the goal of making hockey the most inclusive sport. She takes an intersectional approach to her work.
Reference:
She’s4Sports. (2020, August 27). We are sport - webinar 2: Diversity in leadership. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1shb-u_sg
Summary:
Women of colour in sport (e.g., athletes, league staff, and broadcasters) are forced to shoulder the load with regards to racial advocacy, in addition to trying to perform in their own sphere. The panellists also emphasize the need for more allies, but allies need to have stakes in the game to be considered an ally. Additionally, it is important to hire diverse candidates (because they are talented, not because they are diverse), as seeing someone in leadership who is representative draws more diverse candidates into the pool as they want to work with people who have a shared lived experience.
Reference:
Sol, A. (2021, January 31). In conversation with Tamara Tatham, women’s basketball head coach. The Varsity. https://thevarsity.ca/2021/01/31/in-conversation-with-tamara-tatham-womens-basketball-head-coach/
Summary:
Tamara Tatham, a two time Olympian and Pan Am gold medallist is now the interim head coach of U of T’s varsity blues women’s basketball team and she also coaches the Raptors 905. When Tatham assumed a leadership role on her team while playing professionally overseas, she began to contemplate a career in coaching. Tatham believes her responsibility extends off the court as well, and is a champion for her athletes’ mental health.
Reference:
St. Francis Xavier University. (2020, July 23). Leader on and off the court: StFX women’s basketball head coach Lee Anna Osei creates platform for people of colour in Canadian sports community. St. Summary:
Francis Xavier University. https://www.stfx.ca/about/news/LeeAnna-Osei
St FX women’s basketball coach Lee Anna Osei founded the Black Canadian Coaches Association (BCCA). The goals of the BCCA are celebration, advocacy through allyship, and networking. The initial work of the BCCA is a project aimed at gaining understanding (through research) of BIPOC experiences in Canadian intercollegiate sport, and then using those experiences to information recommendations to address safety, support, and empowerment of BIPOC community members.
Reference:
The Economist. (2018, February 15). Why board quotas are no friend to women workers. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/02/15/why-board-quotas-are-no-friend-to-women-workers
Summary:
In countries such as Norway, Belgium, and France, where quotas have been implemented, women represent 30-40% of board make up. Conversely, in the United States where there are no such quotas, female representation on corporate boards is only 20%. However, evidence for company success with gender balanced boards has not shown improvement, and the article notes that the focus should instead be in the more influential senior management positions, where in Europe women are still represented at a rate of less than 10%. The authors argue, however, that in lieu of quotas, other policies should be put in place to encourage advancing women into management, such as encouraging parental leave for fathers, increased access to childcare, and normalizing more reasonable working hours.
Reference:
The Economist. (2018, February 17). Ten years on from Norway’s quota for women on corporate boards. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/business/2018/02/17/ten-years-on-from-norways-quota-for-women-on-corporate-boards
Summary:
In 2008 Norway mandated market listed companies to establish a 40% female quota for their boards, and in the years following several other European nations have followed suit. In the years since quota implementation, female representation on boards has vastly increased. Additionally, many of the fears of increasing female representation on boards has not come to pass, for example, many new female members outqualify their predecessors. However, the data as to whether having more diverse boards led to better company outcomes is inclusive. Additionally, companies that achieved their quotas did not see an increase in female representation in senior management, or in a reduction of the wage gap.
Reference:
The New York Times. (2019, December 31). Where are all the women coaches? [Video]. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000006866315/women-coaching-sports-title-ix.html
Summary:
In US college sport, in men’s sport only 3% of the coaches are women, while in women’s sport, only 42% of the coaches are women. Gender equity in coaching is going backward, rather than making progress. There are a handful of women coaching high level men’s sport, which provides a good role model. Double standard for women - women are “too emotional” whereas men are “passionate.”
Reference:
The Step Up Equality Project. (March 2020). A Handbook of Best Practice: Women’s leadership and decision making within sport (European Countries). https://www.sportanddev.org/sites/default/files/downloads/sue-ahandbookofbestpractice.pdf
The Step Up Equality (SUE) Project is a three-year project funded by the European Commission (January 2019 - December 2021). Handbook written to tackle persistent gender inequalities and address the underrepresentation of women among trainers, managers, and decision-makers in sport. Leadership, influence and decision making are the biggest challenges facing sport in its progress towards gender equality, yet, women are notably absent from leadership roles and positions of influence. European best practice case studies highlighted in the handbook offer potential road maps, showing alternative starting points and broad application within many contexts, to promote and facilitate women’s leadership in sport. Strategies include education, mentorship, leadership courses, campaigning for equality, and social innovations to challenge norms.
Reference:
Townes, C. (December 13, 2019). The Lack of Women in Leadership in Sports Inspires the BreakThrough Summit. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceceliatownes/2019/12/13/the-lack-of-women-in-leadership-in-sports-inspires-the-breakthrough-summit/?sh=2a0281241156
Summary:
Statistics highlight the underrepresentation of women in professional sports industry leadership roles and suggest more intentional focus is needed to correct the imbalance. The business case for doing so is strong. To address this, Hudl, a learning and sport performance analysis platform, hosted a day long summit designed to develop and celebrate women in sports leadership roles. CEO, David Graff, recognized that diverse businesses are more successful and investing in diverse leaders must be done at every stage of a business’s life cycle. Women with extensive leadership experience imparted their knowledge on current and future leaders and elevated each other by sharing best practices, being visible role models and expanding each other’s networks.
Reference:
Tulshyan, R., & Burey, J.A. (2021, February 11). Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. The Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
Summary:
mposter syndrome - doubting one’s abilities and feeling like a fraud - is pervasive for women in the workplace. While there are thousands of resources available that offer advice on how to combat imposter syndrome, there is less information available on what causes it, and how workplaces may be exacerbating it. The way we currently view imposter syndrome leaves little room for questioning the systems (e.g., patriarchy) that create and perpetuate it, putting the onus on the individual to change, rather than addressing the system. Further, the language used (i.e., “imposter” “syndrome” “suffers from”) carries a negative connotation that further burdens women and serves to internalize the problem. The systemic discrimination women face causes the doubt experienced, with the authors stating, “In truth, we don’t belong because we were never supposed to belong.” The solution, therefore, is not to fix individuals, but to create an inclusive environment where women are not made to feel like imposters
Reference:
Weinreb, M. (November 2018). Muslim women athletes changing skeptical world view. Global Sport Matters https://globalsportmatters.com/culture/2018/11/13/muslim-women-athletes-changing-skeptical-world-view/
Summary:
Leaders in this article are the Muslim female athletes acting out of the norm to pave the way for others to participate in sport. Recent global mind shift on how female Muslim athletes are perceived is paving the way for increased numbers of women who want to participate in sport and remain true to their faith. Muslim women who want to play sports, let alone compete, have many obstacles to overcome. Progress has been made in overcoming cultural skepticism, exclusionary practices, familial objections and requirements of a male accompaniment but barriers still remain. Rules regarding competition uniforms and training gear that satisfy cultural and religious requirements have been altered in some, but not all, sports and allowances on religious headwear is becoming more commonplace. As an example, recent reforms in Saudi Arabia now enable women to attend sport stadiums unaccompanied by a man and join sport boards. Social media has assisted athletes in connecting with sponsors and showc ase their involvement for other young women to see possibilities. This article stresses the importance of role models – children seeing others who look like them participating in sport encourages them to participate.
Reference:
Women in sport: Addressing the diversity. How can sport increase female representation at boardroom level? The Match: Where Business and Sport Meet. https://atthematch.com/article/how-can-sport-increase-female-representation-at-boardroom-level
Summary:
Sport has much to learn from the corporate sector. Gender diversification at the board level leads to greater profitability, better governance, increased innovation, and more opportunities for women within an organization. Article notes many statistics and examples of lack of female representation in sport leadership roles (i.e. After 100 years, Fifa elected its first woman, Lydia Nsekera, to the executive committee in 2013). With a talent pipeline being key to succession planning in any organization, this becomes challenging to fill with potential female leaders due to a history of excluding women as players in many parts of the world. Evidence from the corporate world suggests that legal quotas, with the threat of sanctions, may be the most effective solution to gender disparity, but cultural norms must continue to shift for sustainable change.
Reference:
Zheng, W., Kark, R., & Meister, A. (2018, November 28). How women manage the gendered norms of leadership. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/11/how-women-manage-the-gendered-norms-of-leadership
Summary:
Women in leadership experience the double bind of what it means to be a woman and what it takes to lead. Interviews with 64 female leaders found 4 paradoxes the women navigate on a daily basis at work: demanding yet caring; authoritative yet participative; advocating for themselves yet serving others; and maintaining distance while remaining approachable. The following strategies to manage the double bind have been identified: adapt the leadership approach to the specific situation; demonstrate the paradoxical behaviours in order (i.e., be nice then tough; look for win-win situations where the paradoxical behaviours can converge; be tough with tasks, and soft with people; and reframing (e.g., vulnerability as strength).