Gender and Sports Diplomacy

In recent years, scholarly interest in gender and sports diplomacy has grown significantly. However, few studies have examined how sporting initiatives function as diplomatic tools. This chapter begins with a literature review covering publications from 2020 to 2024. A search using the terms ‘sport*’ AND ‘diplomacy’ was conducted in JSTOR, targeting journal articles and book chapters. Additional searches on related topics, such as soft power and international relations, were completed via Google Scholar and selected journals. These efforts yielded 174 relevant publications. Yet, when narrowing the focus to gender and sports diplomacy, only 13 pieces were identified using gender-specific keywords. Key themes included elite sport and women's sports diplomacy, sport for social outcomes and leadership/governance in sports diplomacy. The second half of the chapter builds on this foundation by applying a gendered sports diplomacy lens to a case study of the This Girl Can campaign in the UK and Australia. Although not explicitly framed as a diplomatic initiative, the campaign demonstrates diplomatic value through its language, partnerships and outreach, demonstrating diplomacy in action. Ultimately, the chapter highlights the need for further research in gender and sports diplomacy, while illustrating how sports development initiatives can intersect with diplomatic objectives.