“SheCOACH” is an Erasmus+ Sport project that promotes gender equality in sport coaching, focusing on basketball, by addressing the structural, cultural, and educational barriers that limit women’s participation in coaching roles — particularly at elite levels.

Although the number of women athletes has increased significantly, women remain under-represented in coaching across all sports, often confined to lower levels and stereotypically “feminine” roles. Research shows that only 20–30% of coaches in Europe are women, and in basketball the figures are even lower, especially in Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Spain. This imbalance stems from persistent gender stereotypes, male-dominated networks, and a lack of gender-sensitive education and policies.

SheCOACH seeks to change this reality by:

• Enhancing the integration of gender-related content into coaching education programs.
• Developing a Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in Coaching Education that helps organisations assess and embed gender equity into their curricula and practices.
• Building the capacity of coach education providers through tailored online training, pilot programs, and workshops.
• Raising awareness among sports clubs, federations, schools, and policymakers on the importance and value of women in coaching roles.
• Increasing the participation of women in coaching courses by removing barriers and creating inclusive pathways.

Through an evidence-based and collaborative approach, SheCOACH delivers practical tools and training for sports federations, universities, clubs, and coaches — empowering them to challenge biases and foster inclusive environments. The project also runs awareness campaigns and stakeholder engagement initiatives to ensure long-term change and to inspire more women and girls to enter and thrive in coaching.

Led by the Cyprus Basketball Federation, SheCOACH brings together partners from Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Malta, Austria, and Romania, uniting expertise from sports federations, universities, civil society organisations, and coaching associations to advance gender equality in sport across Europe.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.