Female representation on sporting boards rises to forty-five percent

Female representation on sporting boards in Ireland has risen by to 45 per cent, Sport Ireland has found.

In their latest published figured, the sporting organisation found an increase from 42 per cent in December of 2023, up 3 per cent, with three major sporting bodies highlighted for a notable rise in female representation.

the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) surpassed 40 percent representation for the first time, going from 16 to 43 per cent in the latest report. The Irish Rugby Football Union (33 per cent to 41 per cent) also hit record representation.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, TD welcomed the progress in a tweet, saying it was "great news".

Just announced: the percentage of women on boards in the Irish sport sector is 45%#IRFU@FAIreland @officialgaa
have surpassed 40% representation of women on their boards for the first time

Well done all, great news as we work to make sport more accessible for women & girls pic.twitter.com/eRj1WAkjI5

— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) April 12, 2024

Speaking on the Sports Ireland report, Martin said "all boardrooms should be representative of our society and reflect modern Ireland, through proportionate female membership."

The Minister also highlighted the progress made by various other sporting organisations.

"In the past few months, NGBs and LSPs have been working hard as they look to increase the number of women on their boards. For example, Pitch and Putt Ireland (11% to 40%), the Irish Judo Association (13% to 50%), the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (13% to 46%), Olympic Handball Ireland (20% to 43%) and Donegal Sports Partnership (29% to 40%) have all made significant progress, which highlights their commitment to advancing women and girls in their sports."

Sport Ireland CEO, Dr Úna May, added "since the release of the first snapshot in 2020, we have seen a continuous trend towards more gender-equal boards across sport in Ireland.

"This is crucial, as the decision-making processes in governing bodies should reflect the communities they serve. We would like to acknowledge the effort that has gone in to deliver this, and we will work closely with the sector at all levels to continue and maintain this progress.