A doctoral project underway at the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH) of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) is investigating the experiences and work challenges of women in sport, with a particular focus on those in leadership positions.
The research, entitled "Contingent workers in leadership positions: the case of women in sport and their working relationships", aims to examine the level of organisational support perceived by women in sport, as well as their assessment of work-life balance, career ambitions and prospects, and their perception of leadership self-efficacy.
"The assessment of all these perceptions and experiences will take into account the comparison between men and women, as well as the position of the participants. The aim of the study is to pay special attention to participants in leadership positions, such as training coaches who accompany young people," says Daniela Alves, the project leader and a doctoral student in the International PhD in “Applied Psychology: Adaptation and Change in Contemporary Societies" at the FEP-UCP.
The project will also include an intercultural analysis between Portugal and Spain to identify similarities and differences in the experiences of both countries.
Data collection in the National Olympic Committee
At the start of the project, the researcher carried out a four-day mission to the National Olympic Committee, where she collected data on the participation of Portuguese women and men in the Olympic cycle, including athletes, staff and people in leadership positions (coaches, mission leaders, etc.).
"These data will allow us to map chronologically the participation of women in sport and the positions they have occupied, comparing their reality with that of men" explains the doctoral student, who is being supervised by FEP faculty Filipa Sobral.
The aim: to promote gender equality in sport
The project hopes to contribute to the dissemination of information on the working conditions of women in sport, especially female coaches.
Daniela Alves hopes that her research will help to promote gender parity in sport and improve working conditions for women.
The visit to the National Olympic Committee is part of a mission funded by the CEDH.
