Purpose Gender equity in entrepreneurship has been a global issue in several areas, and the sports context is no exception. Therefore, the present study aims to carry out a systematic review of the literature to analyze how female entrepreneurship in the context of sports organizations has been studied in the scientific community. Design/methodology/approach The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol was used to ensure the structure and quality of the study. Articles were obtained through a search in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, by using a set of inclusion/exclusion criteria (e.g. research equation, studies published only in English and classified as an article or review). A Microsoft Excel database was developed, from which tables and graphs were generated to help interpret the results. Findings The search resulted in 19 articles, grouped into four clusters: education and entrepreneurship, sports and entrepreneurial skills development, barriers to entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. The results indicate that despite all the efforts that have been made thus far, several barriers to female entrepreneurship remain. However, physical activity and sports have been found to aid the development of skills and abilities that may be fundamental to entrepreneurial initiatives. Formation in the context of higher education has also been identified as a fundamental tool for stimulating female entrepreneurship. Practical implications This study can have a positive impact on employment opportunities for women in the sport industry. Originality/value Besides providing ideas for future research, the results could support the development of policies to address gender equity issues and encourage women to take initiatives in sports entrepreneurship.