Challenges Faced By Female Teachers in Leadership Position in Public Sector Universities of Southeren KPK

Abstract

This study examines female public sector university lecturers’ challenges in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province’s south. The author aims to describe challenges caused by social cultural and institutional factors. These challenges affect the hiring and retention of women in leadership positions in the academy. Research in this area employs a phenomenological approach. Using the purposive sampling technique, authors interviewed ten female university lecturers in public service universities in south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authors used Braun and Clarke’s (2021) thematic analysis as a guide to analyze the data. These authors identified both social-cultural factors and challenges caused by the dominant male culture. These include Patriarchal culture, male dominance, pardah and hijab, the perception that women in leadership roles lack commitment, and the double burden of domestic and work responsibilities. The authors pointed to the lack of family-centered policies, having no place in male-dominated decision-making networks, and unfair promotions. Authors argue that these challenges require major structural changes to create the real equity in higher education leadership for women. Authors have shared findings from a conservative region of the world and offered useful recommendations for administrators and future researchers.

KEYWORDS: Women in Leadership, Academic Leadership, Gender Barriers, Higher Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Public Sector Universities, Qualitative Study.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22141818