Factors Affecting Women Participation In Leadership Position: The Case Of Secondary Schools In Ambo Town Administration

Abstract

The intention of this study was to assess the major factors that affect female teachers’ participation in Secondary school leadership in Ambo Town administration. To realize this, an endeavor was made to forward possible solutions for the case under investigation. Descriptive survey method was employed. The participants of this study were 144 teachers selected by using simple random sampling techniques. Out of this, female teachers constitute 40 whereas the remaining 104 are male teachers sampled out of five schools.5 school principals, 10 vice principals, 5 Woreda Education Officials, and 3 Women and children affairs officials were also involved in the study. The data were collected by using questionnaire, interview and document analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis were employed in order to reach at results. The findings of the study revealed; females’ participation decreases at higher leadership position than lower position, they lack confidence in school leadership, females have necessary skills to discipline students, supervise other adults and criticize other constructively in their work place, and females are reluctant to accept responsibility. Job recruitment and hiring practice do not attract female candidates for leadership. Females are less participated as both heads and deputy head teachers: men consider women as their equal counterparts; females do not have plan and set their promotion goals to be school leader. Some of the challenges which could hinder women representation in educational leadership were for instance, pressure of home responsibilities, men dominance of management position, unclear promotion procedures. Providing training for women(Mentoring), gender responsiveness movement, gender fairness in school leadership position, fighting traditions that hinder the progress of women, ,discourage societal discrimination, change family traditional structure, sensitize society to accept women leadership and initiating women to become self-confident were suggested as possible solutions by the research finding to tackle the problem.