LAUSR

Abstract Women are strongly represented in the tourism workforce, albeit mainly in low-level, precarious positions. In management or on board of directors, on the other hand, women are seriously underrepresented. Interviews with female leaders from management associations in Catalonia (Spain) allowed us to identify the associations' goals and roles, the barriers women have encountered in their pursuit of high-level corporate positions, and the challenges to female leadership that lie ahead. Female associations support the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 5, creating awareness of gender barriers, enhancing social conscience on gender equality in decision-making bodies, and expanding professional networks and access to resources. Our findings show that these associations empower women by means of different strategies acting as active agents of change that help transform both their members and society.