Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Physical education, Faculty of Humanities, Ivanky University, Ivanky, Iran
2
Department of Physical education, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
Abstract
Background and Purpose
One of the important criteria for measuring the degree of development of any country is the importance and prestige accorded to women within that society. Women, constituting half of the human resources, serve simultaneously as both the subject and the objective of any form of development and represent an effective lever in advancing the goals of economic and social development. The necessity and socio-economic imperative of women's productive participation in the development and progress programs of human societies have consistently been emphasized. In this regard, across numerous societies, women encounter problems and inequalities such as limited access to educational facilities equal to those available to men, unequal job opportunities compared to men, poverty and income disparity, heightened tensions, and the burden of managing multiple family roles, which frequently lead to conflicts within these roles. Physical education and sports can also be affected by these issues. This situation is rooted in gender inequality, despite advancements in women's empowerment and progress in education and social participation. Today, in most societies, women are deprived of equal opportunities for social, political, and even sports participation due to cultural, political, and religious considerations, and both women and men are striving to eliminate this inequality. Within the realm of sports, structural, managerial, financial, facility-related, cultural, and social restrictions constitute significant barriers.
Methods
The present study employed a qualitative approach and was conducted with the aim of exploring and extracting the experiences and perspectives of experts in the field of women's sports. Content analysis based on the six-step model of Braun and Clarke (2006) was utilized for data analysis. The statistical population of the study consisted of all experts in the domain of women's sports. The sampling method was purposive and criterion-based; participants were selected based on indicators such as practical experience, academic background, and active engagement in the field of sports management within the country. Following the conduct of 15 interviews, the researcher achieved theoretical saturation, as subsequent interviews did not contribute any new information or insights to the emerging themes. The data collection instrument was semi-structured interviews. At the commencement of the interview process, the researchers made telephone contact with potential participants, explained the purpose and nature of the research, and provided them with a sample of interview questions. Subsequently, a suitable date and time were determined based on each participant's preference. At the appointed time, the researcher proceeded to the location agreed upon with the participant, and the interview was conducted. All interviews were recorded using a smartphone. After each session, the audio file was transcribed verbatim, re-read, and prepared for analysis. For data analysis, the interview transcripts were reviewed multiple times to familiarize the researcher with the data. Subsequently, key concepts were coded line by line; similar codes were aggregated into subthemes, from which final themes were subsequently extracted. Finally, the thematic structure was organized and prepared for report writing. To ensure the accuracy and validity of the qualitative findings, the four criteria established by Lincoln and Guba (1985)—namely credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability—were employed. In compliance with ethical considerations, the identities of participants remained confidential, and no names were mentioned in the final report. The researcher adhered to principles respecting participants' rights, including the right to withdraw at any time, confidentiality, and non-maleficence.
Results
The coding of qualitative findings revealed seven final themes, as follows:
Theme 1: Persistence of Stereotypes and Socio-Cultural Limitations
This theme refers to the continued significant role of traditional beliefs, patriarchal attitudes, and social expectations in limiting women's participation in sports management. Women are frequently pressured to prioritize their roles as wives and mothers, and their managerial participation is met with skepticism or social resistance.
Theme 2: Male-Centric Structures and Organizational Discrimination
This theme indicates that the organizational structures of Iranian sports are predominantly male-centric, and the process of managerial appointments is based on personal relationships rather than merit. The absence of successful female role models, ineffective legislation, and organizational constraints prevent women from attaining higher levels of management.
Theme 3: Women's Barriers and Capabilities in Management
This theme suggests that individual factors such as lack of self-confidence, low motivation, insufficient experience, and the pressure of family roles limit women's entry into and continuation within management positions. These psychological and professional barriers are challenging to overcome, and women require support and empowerment. Individual and psychological barriers, together with professional pressures, create significant limitations for women, underscoring the importance of empowerment programs.
Theme 4: The Dual Role of the Media in Representing Women
This theme refers to the media's capacity to both play a positive role in modeling and empowering women while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes and presenting an incomplete image of them. Positive representation generates social legitimacy and public trust in women managers. Accordingly, it can be asserted that the media plays a key role in transforming public attitudes and can serve as an effective instrument for promoting women's participation in sports management.
Theme 5: Women's Empowerment and Competence
Women's skills, education, experience, and self-confidence constitute the primary factors in their success within sports management. Women's competence fosters role models, increases the participation of other women, and mitigates cultural and structural barriers. Therefore, it can be concluded that women's individual empowerment and the demonstration of their competence, in addition to directly affecting their status, modify the attitudes of both society and managers toward them.
Theme 6: Social Changes and Increased Participation of Women
Social transformations, including increased educational attainment, active media presence, and shifts in societal attitudes, have created new opportunities for women. These developments have enhanced women's self-confidence and active participation in sports management.
Theme 7: The Need to Reform Policies and Institutional Support
Supportive legislation, quotas, and institutional policies play an important role in increasing the presence of women. Without legal support and binding policies, women are compelled to exert extraordinary effort, and their success remains constrained.
Conclusion
Overall, this study demonstrated that the presence of women in sports management in Iran is affected by a complex interaction among cultural, structural, and individual barriers and the opportunities arising from social transformations. Traditional beliefs and male-centric structures continue to create serious limitations; however, women's individual capabilities, changing social attitudes, and supportive policies can pave the way for their advancement. To promote the role of women in sports management, simultaneous measures are necessary across three domains: (1) Culture and social attitudes: education, cultural development, and the introduction of successful female role models; (2) Structure and policy-making: legislative reform, management quotas, and the formulation of binding policies; and (3) Individual empowerment and networking: specialized training, mentoring, and the creation of support networks. The combination of these three levels of intervention will pave the way for genuine equality and the sustainable presence of women in sports management in Iran.
Article Message
According to social construction theory, the development of women in management is a phenomenon produced by social interactions and shared meanings, rather than being solely a function of individual ability. The findings of this study revealed that seven key themes—including the persistence of cultural stereotypes, male-centric structures, individual barriers and capabilities, the dual role of the media, women's competencies, social developments, and the necessity of policy reform—simultaneously influence the formation of this process. Accordingly, the advancement of women's managerial status is achieved when society redefines gender roles and dismantles stereotypical meanings, organizations distance themselves from discriminatory structures, the media provides a more realistic representation of women, and policies become more supportive. Consequently, women's advancement in management represents a malleable social construct that can be strengthened and consolidated through cultural reexamination and structural reform.
Ethical Considerations
In order to comply with ethical considerations, participants were provided with an ethical assurance that their information would be used exclusively for research purposes. The identities of participants remained confidential, and no names were mentioned in the final report. Additionally, prior to the commencement of each interview, informed consent was obtained for audio recording and the scientific use of the data. The researcher adhered to principles respecting participants' rights, including the right to withdraw at any time, confidentiality, and the non-disclosure of information.
Authors' Contributions
Conceptualization: Mahdieh Karimifard
Data Collection: Mahdieh Karimifard
Data Analysis: Hossein Mansouri
Manuscript Writing: Mahdieh Karimifard
Review and Editing: Farideh Hadavi, Hossein Mansouri
Responsible for Funding: Mahdieh Karimifard
Literature Review: Mahdieh Karimifard
Project Management: Farideh Hadavi, Hossein Mansouri
Additional Contributions: Not applicable
Conflict of Interest
There is no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The researchers would like to acknowledge and express their gratitude to all participants who contributed to this study.
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