Beyond the glass ceiling: building international networks to empower female early-career researchers in sport science—A commentary

Women remain significantly underrepresented in sport science academia, particularly at senior levels. While women constitute approximately half of sport science postgraduates and PhD students in Germany, only 23% of sport science professors are female. This pattern is mirrored globally, where only 29% of the world’s top 100 universities are led by women. This commentary examines the structural, institutional, and cultural forces that sustain this disparity, and introduces the Women in Sport Science (WiSS) network as a practical response. We argue that the gender gap in academic sport science cannot be reduced to a single cause. The well-documented publication gap reflects not differences in ability or ambition, but systemic barriers including unequal administrative burdens, attribution bias, reduced access to funding, and the growing influence of AI systems that replicate and amplify existing gender inequities. Parenthood imposes a disproportionate career penalty on women, driven not only by biology but also by gendered institutional expectations, while informal caregiving responsibilities and homophily in hiring and promotion further narrow the pathways available to women throughout the life course. Critically, rigid gender stereotypes also constrain men, undermining genuine allyship and perpetuating a culture that is harmful to many people. We call for transparent, portfolio-based evaluation processes, family-friendly institutional practices, and meaningful male allyship as concrete levers for change. The WiSS network, launched at the ECSS Congress 2025 in Rimini, provides an inclusive space for early-career and senior researchers of all genders to share experiences, build networks, and collectively advance a more equitable culture in sport science academia.