Social Innovation and Gender Equity in Sport: A Systematic Review
Abstract
This systematic review considers the nexus of social innovation and gender equity in sport, with specific attention to means of moving towards gender parity in Iranian sport. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, the analysis reviewed 25 peer-reviewed journal articles between the years 2010 and 2025 from Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases. The research findings indicate that social innovation at an institutional level is the overarching solution for dealing with gender equality in sport worldwide, as 21 out of 25 reviewed studies highlighted structural, organizational, and institutional transformation. The research demonstrates that real change towards gender parity in sport must be derived by reforming existing systems at all levels of framework, policy, and organizational structure as opposed to realizing isolated programs. In the Iranian context in particular, the present analysis indicates that successful gender equity programs need to involve influential stakeholders such as governments, education institutions, and sport federations and address entrenched social and cultural norms as well as oppressive social barriers tending to limit women's participation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fereshteh Aghajani (Author); Vajiheh Javani; Anahita Malek (Author)
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