Men's dominance in sports: women fight for equality in Austria!

Men's dominance in sports: women fight for equality in Austria!

On June 11, 2025, it became clear as part of the end conference in Vienna that sport in Austria is still a male domain. According to vienna.at, 82% of the people in management functions are men and 83% of the trainers, while only 17% are trainers. These unequal conditions also continue in the referee, where only 8% of the referees are female. The data comes from the EU-supported project All in Plus, which was collected in 21 countries.

Austria does not show a positive picture in gender equality in sport. Of the athletes who make a living in sports, 66% are men and only 34% women. Sports Secretary Michaela Schmidt therefore calls for urgent need for action and a consciousness formation to promote women in sport. She sees the need to regulate the requirements for the occupation of committees with the aim of filling 30% of management and trainer positions with women by 2030.

hurdles for women in sports

dr. Lara Lesch, a sports scientist at the University of Bielefeld, examines the hurdles for women in leadership positions in sport in her dissertation "Women in Sport Leadership: A Multi-Level Perspective". According to uni-bielefeld.de, she analyzes a variety of barriers that make it difficult for women to access these positions. Lesch emphasizes the need for changes to promote equal opportunities in sport and sees the greatest hurdles on three levels: the social macro level, the organizational meso level and the individual micro level.

The study shows that historically grown structures in sports organizations are resistant to changes. Sports policy printing and incentive systems could represent the first steps to improve the representation of women in management positions.

perspectives in triathlon

In the Austrian Triathlonverband (ÖTRV), according to vienna.at, three women are represented in the presidium this year. Nevertheless, 38 squad athletes have no trainer. Attempts to organize only women's triathlons failed because women demand equal treatment in the competition. In triathlon, women receive the same prize money as men, which is a positive development.

The association also plans to promote women in sports, including a seal of approval for family -friendly triathlons by 2028 and special further training measures for athletes. Events should offer a “Ladies Special Service” in the future to enable wider participation of women.

Health advantages of movement for women

Interest in the health aspects of sport and exercise in women has also increased. A study illuminates that women only need 2.5 hours of moderate movement per week for the same health survival advantage, while men have to invest about 5 hours. These results make it clear that women from every minute can take a higher benefit from a moderate to intensive activity than men, which contributes to a longer and healthier life ([nationalgeographic.de] (https://www.nationalgeographic.de/wissenschaft/2024/gender-gap-frauen-sport-im-vorteil-fitness-manner-life life expectancy)).

Overall, it can be stated that sport in Austria continues to face major challenges, especially in terms of gender equality. The various initiatives to promote women in sport are a step in the right direction, but there is still considerable need for action.