Abstract
Sport has generally been a male-dominated domain which appears to discriminate
against women by preventing their advancement to high-level positions in sports
organisations. The article conceptually utilises the Gender and Development
approach as a theoretical framework. The rationale behind this approach is that in
a patriarchal society, there are stereotyped mentality, social practices, and cultural
traditions confining women to household tasks only; role-conflict between men
and women; and gender challenges in terms of work-family-balanced tasks that
restrict women from advancing their careers outside their delegated and expected
home-based tasks. This approach therefore aims to empower, incorporate,
integrate, and mainstream gender in the sport sector. The article contextually
utilises a comprehensive literature survey, document analysis, and a desktop
review of the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa to identify gender
gaps. Through document analysis, the gender gaps will be discussed in the South
African sports sector at strategic and policy levels that suppress women from
holding decision-making and strategic positions. Authors believe that women
alone are not responsible for the lack of gender-based representation in sports
management. Male counterparts hold equal responsibility to encourage, promote,...