Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Barriers and Enablers for Women in Executive Leadership of Higher Educational Institutions in Pakistan

Abstract

Although the number of female enrolments to higher education in Pakistan is on the rise, women are grossly underrepresented in executive positions in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This qualitative research looks at the lived conditions of women in the academic top leadership roles, the structural, socio-cultural, and institutional aspects that they encounter and the mechanisms they employ in order to cope with them. The authors base the study on the role incongruity theory and the notion of gynandrous leadership, which places the leadership paths of women in the framework of gendered organizational norms. The thematic analysis of data collected on 15 semi-structured female interviews on the leadership of Pakistani HEIs (n=15) was conducted. The most interesting insights have to do with the gender bias and stereotyping that diminish the authority of women, the notable issues with combining the professional and the family expectations, the absence of formal leadership development and mentorship opportunities, and adopting the adaptive leadership styles, which integrate traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics. These measures help women to bargain and to fight with the current leadership standards to build more inclusive academic governance. The research indicates that to aid women in educational leadership, policies should be gender sensitive, organized mentorship programs, and institutional reformation is necessary. This study can be used to understand gender equity in the leadership of South Asian higher education more profoundly due to the combination of empirical data and theoretical perspectives.