Women's Handball Roadmap 2029
From “Reaching Higher – Together” to “She grows. We win.”
The Women’s Handball Roadmap 2029 is a strategical plan to grow women’s handball and women in handball, from grassroots participation to elite-level performance.
In alignment with the vision of "Reaching Higher — Together" as embedded in European women’s handball development strategies since 2013, the EHF will work in close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders to elevate the image, visibility and professional standing of female players and competitions. At the same time, the EHF recognises the necessity of building comprehensive and inclusive development pathways, ensuring sustainable growth from grassroots participation to elite-level performance.
The Women’s Handball Roadmap 2029 provides European handball with clear guidelines in the five development areas crucial for growing women’s handball and advancing women in the sport. The EHF is committed to growing the women’s game and will continue working to bring women’s handball to the next level in the coming years.
The Women’s Handball Roadmap 2029 motivates us and gives us an additional boost to carry on with our work and grow the playground for all women in handball to thrive. It reflects a clear vision of where we want to see women’s handball in the future.
FEMALE OFFICIATING
She grows as an official; we all win with fair games and new role models.
Objective: Contribute to the increase in the number of female officials, raise the level of professionalism amongst female referees and for women’s games
Status quo (Q2 2025):
- 21/127 (17%) female EHF referee pairs
- 11/36 (31%) female registered candidate pairs
- 17/44 (39%) female registered Young Referee Pairs
- 25/135 (19%) female EHF delegates
Target (2029):
- 25% female EHF referee pairs
- 40% female registered candidate pairs
- 50% female registered Young Referee Pairs
- > 35% female EHF delegates
FEMALE COACHES
She grows as a coach; we all win with excellence in competition and a wide grassroots base.
Objective: Contribute to the increase in the number of female coaches, raise the level of professionalism amongst female coaches and for women’s games
Status quo (Q2 2025):
- 198 (11%) female Master Coaches
- Incomplete data on female coaches in national federations
Target (2029):
- >30% female participants in EHF Master Coach courses
- 25% female EHF Master Coaches
- Establish database on female coaches in national federations
- Support national federations in their ambitions to attract female coaches
- Provide advocacy, role models, visibility and create awareness
PROFESSIONAL PLAYING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
She grows as a professional athlete; we win a future where professionalism drives visibility, value, and sustainable partnerships.
Objective: Improve the professional playing environment for female athletes, including increasing access to secure professional contracts, promoting fair working conditions and ensuring social protections such as maternity leave and health insurance.
Status quo (Q2 2025):
Target (2029):
- Further strengthen dual career paths
- Establish women’s handball as its own product
- Assess and further develop the current status of maternity policies, social security measures, safeguarding frameworks, professional employment contracts and payment structures throughout European national federations
- Equitable pay, resource allocation and transparency
COMMUNITY, VISIBILITY AND PROMOTION
She grows her visibility; we win together with our fanbase and community.
Objective: Further extending the visibility of women’s handball and women in handball. Fan engagement and community building will be fostered by creating a sense of belonging, interactive experiences and increasing audience participation both online and offline.
Status quo (Q2 2025):
- Three female commentators
- Four female role models in Her Playground project – (former) players
- One female podcast host
- 12.5 per cent of EHF Champions League Women matches with English commentary
- No long-form content produced for EHF Champions League Women
- Her Playground launched (September 2025)
Target (2029):
- Five female commentators
- 10 role models in the role models project – including players, coaches, referees and women involved in other areas of handball
- All EHF Champions League Women matches with English commentary
- Long-form content produced at all competition levels
- Growth of Her Playground platforms
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
She grows as a leader; we win while making handball fit for the future.
Objective: improved representation of women in handball boards and leadership positions, with the unchanged goals of achieving equal representation and providing a safe environment.
Status quo (2025):
- 23% of members on the EHF Executive Committee are female
- 75% of members on the Women’s Handball Board are female
- 43% of EHF full-time staff are female
- 36% of members in Technical Commissions are female
- 24% of members in Legal Bodies are female
- 10% of managerial positions in the EHF are female
Target (2029):
- Launch the safeguarding concept
- Renew endorsement of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration in cooperation with IWG Women & Sport
- Aim for gender parity throughout EHF’s representation and management
- Grow federations network and community
- Establish structured dialogue with athletes and athletes’ representation
- Strengthen internal resources
