Influencers for change: women leading in the outdoor sector

Women are leading from and within national governing bodies (NGBs), awarding bodies, clubs, groups, culture and entertainment, and sport business in the outdoor sector. Despite a growing body of literature considering women’s experiences within the outdoors, there is little research that focuses distinctly on women’s experiences as leaders in the outdoors. The lived experiences of four women who identify as leaders in the outdoors located in the UK form the basis of this chapter. Using an intersectional approach, we trace narratives of resistance and negotiation with a range of women including those from an outdoor qualification awarding body, a culture and entertainment/events company, a not-for-profit outdoors activity provider, and an outdoor leader/instructor. We prioritize our participants’ words by drawing on semi-structured, erring on unstructured, interview data and locate them in relation to shifting meanings of the outdoor sector. We develop an evolving model of the outdoor sector that illustrates the interconnections of women as agents of change. This chapter contributes to the evolving literature as we explore the impact of dominant power relations on female leaders, as well as how women are actively challenging those power relations, creating space and influence through the navigation and/or transfer of power mechanisms.