The present study aimed to explain the psychological empowerment of women employees in sport organizations based on perceived glass ceiling and to examine the mediating role of self-concept. This applied, descriptive-correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted among women employees working in the General Directorate of Sport and Youth, county Sport and Youth Offices, and sport associations in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. The participants were selected using a census sampling approach, and data from 64 respondents were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using questionnaires measuring perceived glass ceiling, self-concept, and psychological empowerment, and were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and SmartPLS version 3. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed research model. The results indicated that perceived glass ceiling had a negative and significant relationship with psychological empowerment (β = −0.328, p = 0.003) and self-concept (β = −0.512, p < 0.001), whereas self-concept showed a positive and significant relationship with psychological empowerment (β = 0.405, p < 0.001). Moreover, the indirect relationship between perceived glass ceiling and psychological empowerment through self-concept was significant (β = −0.207, p = 0.002), and the model explained 40.7% of the variance in psychological empowerment. These findings indicate that self-concept partially explains the relationship between perceived glass ceiling and psychological empowerment. Therefore, reducing organizational barriers, providing equitable opportunities for women’s participation and career advancement, and strengthening their professional self-concept may contribute to enhancing psychological empowerment among women employees in sport organizations.