As it has its own forms of organisation and its own culture, sport has a powerful influence on the lives of many members of society. Regular participation in physical activity and sport is key to the health, well-being, and optimal development of children and adolescents (WHO, 2020). Sport is a complex social practice, and as such, cannot be reduced to the broad belief that it is an exclusively or exceedingly positive social phenomenon (Elias and Dunning, 1986). For example, men in sport are still hold higher positions of power and influence than women. The majority of sports worldwide are defined as primarily male activities, which results in half of the world population being excluded or discouraged from participating in many sports (Coakley & Pike, 2009). Therefore, in the study of sports in the social sciences and humanities, gender relations impose themselves as a key research topic. Gender inequality has its roots in pre-modern societies. Among numerous other elements, gender relations are one of those that disprove the myth that sport has an exclusively positive impact on individuals, groups, and society. In most modern societies, sport is still exceptionally patriarchal in nature, and as such, is directed towards maintaining existing gender inequalities. Research shows that the negative impact of gender roles and stereotypes on the participation of girls and women in sport and physical activities leads to gender inequality and discrimination (Bartoluci and Baršic, 2020; Greblo Jurakic et al., 2021) in the Croatian context. Girls are less likely to engage in sporting activities and more frequently give up on sport, especially during adolescence (Pedišic et al., 2023). Changes in this context of social relations are take place slowly. The history of women in sport for most of the twentieth century consisted of individual and collective efforts to overcome exclusion and discrimination and to persistently seek spaces where women could take part in sport. Until the 1960s, the myth that aggressive, vigorous sports would harm the female body and its reproductive role were broadly accepted (Coakley, 2020). Opportunities to participate in certain sports have increased significantly in societies where women's rights are respected, but access to sports venues is difficult to ensure in cases where male participants are already competing for access to sports venues and social resources. Although steps have been taken towards gender equality, modern sport is still burdened with numerous problems and inequalities. Additionally, numerous new issues and public debates have arisen regarding the position and rights of LGBTIQ people in sport. We dare to claim that most societies do not have enough scientific conferences that bring together researchers and scientists who study the topics of gender and sport. We thus advocate a multidisciplinary approach to this topic and a pluralism of theoretical paradigms and perspectives. This conference intends to approach sport in a way that enables the inclusion of researchers of various methodological and theoretical backgrounds and ensure dialogue between various actors in order to provide insight into the possibility of implementing scientific discoveries in social practices tied to gender relations in sport. In this way, we wish to promote diversity and equality, within the framework of which sports and competition can serve to facilitate cooperation between various actors on the local, national, and international level. This international conference is our collective attempt to contribute to existing scientific knowledge on the topic of sport and gender in sociology, kinesiology, history, psychology, political science, ethnology, philosophy, and other related fields. We are convinced that this is just the beginning of our long journey together, because it is our goal to make this conference a regular one with longitudinal character, bringing together scientists who study various dimensions of sport in social life, with a focus on social change. Sport can serve as a mirror for society, as well as a resource for social change with the goal of attaining gender equality.