Employability of women managers in the education sector: A study on their leadership role

The teaching profession both in this country and internationally is, with few exceptions,
predominated by women as it has traditionally been seen as a ‘suitable’ job for women.
However, a look at the statistics reveals that despite the large numbers of women in the
profession, they are greatly under-represented in positions of management. Thus the underrepresentation
of women in positions of senior management within educational institutions
continues to be a matter of some concern. Studies on gender and leadership have revealed a
number of barriers to women seeking educational leadership and management positions. This
paper discusses the status of women at senior management level within the educational
sector. Previous studies have found differences in leadership styles in terms of gender and
managerial hierarchy. Discussions on the gender differentiation of leadership have centered
on the different qualities and styles of leadership of men and women; that is, the so-called
masculine and feminine styles of leadership. In this context this paper examines the literature
relating to the leadership styles typically adopted by women in order to explain how such
styles will have an impact on the educational sector.