A Survey Study of Factors Affecting Women's Participation in Educational Leadership in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2007-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study is aimed at identifying factors that affect Women's Participatioll ill Educatiollal
Leadership ill Addis Ababa City Admillistratioll. To achieve the objective of the study, bllsic
questiolls were aske(l ill relatioll to the extent of womell 's participation in leadership positions;
societies' perception towards women leaders; current selection criteria used; problems and
constraillts ellcountered that hillder women's participatioll ill leadership lind possible solutiolls to
improve and increase their participation.
The research method employed WIIS descriptive amI the sampling techniques were purposive alld
simple ramlom. Questionnaires were distributed to 53 Educlltional Officials, 66 School Principilis
IIml Vice Principals as well liS 234 Teachers ill both primary and secolldary Schools of which a total
of 328 (93%) usable questiollilaires were returned. Interviews lind document IInalysis were
cOllducted. Furthermore, focus group discussiolls were held with 80 secolldary studellts at 4 schools
selected ralldomly in each sub-city. The dlltll obtllined WIIS then analyzed using IIpproprillte
statistical tools such as percentages, meall, weigllted meall, one-way ANOVA alld Post Hoc
Comparisoll of means.
The study has revealed that society's lIegative perception concerning women's capability and
competellce to hold positiofls of leadership have changed, where womell are perceived to be highly
competellt in most skills; however, despite their competency, they are still ILOn-prevlllent and
uflderrepreseflted at admiflistrative levels, especially at secondary school alld central office
positions. Moreover, it was (liscovered that the uflfamiliarity afld lack of transparellcy of the
selection criteria, used for selection and placement of educational leaders, led to misconceptions and
possibly discouraged prospective calldidates from applying. It was further idelltified that the major ,
causes that hillder women's participatioll in educational lelldership were: fear of blllllncing
professional and family life; societies' perception regarding women 's role, skill and gender role
socialization; lack of trallsparent selection, hirillg alld promoting policies IIml il/lldequate
professional development ami training. In IIddition, lack of commitment from higher officials,
insufficient commuflication as well as mOllitoring ami evaluations, alld lastly, lllck of trllnspllrency
IIfld clarity of policy for easy implemelltatiofl WIIS also Iloted to have cOfltributed greatly for their
limited participatioll.
Thus, it is recommeflded thllt measures be takefl such as: - Women themselves having to challge
their outlook by believillg in themselves, pursuing higher education, ami by developillg a strong
women's network alld mentoring system within the organization, understanding amI fightillg
'Horizontlll Violence' and eliminatillg the ILOtion of the "Queen Bee' syndrome. OrgllniZlltiolls 011
the other hand, should provide professional development and broaden educational opportunities for
career IIdvllllcemellt, afld have well-organized, transparent selection criteria alld recruitmeflt
procedures. Furthermore, successful womell lellders, organizations, governmellts and other nongovernmellt
organizations should create massive gender-sensitizing traifling to all school
commuflities ami society. Filially, for easy implementatiofl of the women's policy, the government
needs to address these obstacles through advocacy lind training, ensure clilrity ami trallspllrency of
policy, instill effective monitoriflg and evaluation systems alld commuflicate effectively with
implemellters lit grass root levels.
As has been revealed, II number of factors seem to IIffect women's participation, but once appoillted,
they have proved their competence regardless of societies' lIegative stereotypicill IIttitudes.
Therefore, it is recommended that additiollill studies be ulldertakell to illvestigate the leadership
practices of women educationallellders towards a better understllndiflg of women's work lives 1111£1
their leadership qualities which migllt help provide importllnt role models for allY womall aspiring to
the position.
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Keywords
Women's Participation in Educational Leadership