Women on Boards: A Guide to Getting Involved

It is generally recognized that women are often underrepresented in leadership positions, particularly in sport and recreation. There are numerous governing boards and committees associated with sport organizations throughout Canada. The opportunity exists to encourage women to participate in the leadership of these, and other organizations. 

Women on Boards: A Guide to Getting Involved contains information originally produced in Australia by the Department of Victorian Communities – Office of Women’s Policy as part of an initiative to encourage and develop the capacity of women to serve on government boards.

Canadian Women & Sport was granted permission to revise this information to reflect a Canadian context and use it as part of its Women and Leadership Program. The guide demystifies the workings of boards and strives to improve recruitment and retention of women as board members by:

• Describing why boards need more women
• Providing advice on how to find a suitable board to join, and how to secure a position on it
• Providing straightforward descriptions of typical board roles, terminology and processes
• Identifying challenges that may be faced by women serving on boards, and proposing strategies for addressing them