Sport, Gender and Development

This is a much anticipation and welcomed text, and widely exciting because of the nuanced coalescing of three subject matters: development, gender and sport, which are deeply important to me. I know I would simply pick the book up and look to read it, based on the bringing together of Hayhurst, Thorpe and Chawansky in one space. All brilliant feminist scholars in their own right. This book will undoubtedly hold significant appeal to many of us working in the sport for development, gender, space and will become a must have resource. Those new to thinking about sport for development through a gender lens would do well to make this text their start point! I look forward to having my own well handled, marked up copy and for years to come I have no doubt I will be regularly lifting it off my book shelf and saying to research students. This is a seminal text, make sure you are familiar with it, and the broader work of those who have contributed.

Sport for development must urgently move beyond its missionary phase, especially after the exacerbating inequalities of COVID. For those who deploy sports to empower girls and young women and educate boys and men, this book is essential. The authors and their collaborators offer both caution and encouragement through frank theoretical insights and instructive case studies from the Global South. I found it learned, honest and extremely informative.