Challenges Facing Women in School Leadership Positions: Experiences from a District in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Successful educational leadership entails possessing the knowledge, skills and understanding of effective leadership skills along with the personal ability to effectively implement those skills. In Zimbabwe the occupational and leadership status of women in general is still suffering a wide gap, as there is unequal representation in leadership positions between men and women. This study, conducted in a rural district in Zimbabwe, aimed at understanding the challenges facing women in school leadership positions. In this article we argue that there are cultural, social and structural domains among others that impede the effective operations of women in school leadership positions. Using a qualitative research paradigm, six schools in one rural district were chosen for the study. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from six female headsthree from primary schools and three from secondary schools. Focus group discussions were held with teachers from the same schools. The study established that there are cultural, structural, economic and social barriers facing women in school leadership positions. We recommend that different strategies should be set up for developmental programs for women in leadership positions.

From Fighting to Flying: Women Leadership in Private Schools of Kathmandu Valley

“…Nonetheless, her positionality as leader in her own school was not easy. As Shava et al (2019) articulates that women leaders in educational institutions still walk across a wide range of adversities, she had faced a wide array of challenges in her own institution. She noted that despite the position she possessed as the principal, executive decisions were taken by her husband who had no real connection with education.…”