Explain and evaluate why fewer women take leadership, especially in educational system and the future for women in educational management.

Explain and evaluate why fewer women take leadership, especially in educational system and the future for women in educational management.  

It is often heard that behind the success of every man, there is a woman. The conventional societal setting made women often seen as housewife. Their primary responsibility is of marriage, child bearing, supporting and assist their husband.  For centuries, women fought for equal opportunities and rights. Today, under the government law and policy, women are overcoming prejudice and discrimination and entering the workforce. From traditional ‘female occupation’ such as nursing, hairdressing to ‘masculine male occupation’ like banking and trading, women are making up half of the total workforce in the UK. Some of them have made a significant progress entering top management positions. Despite the success of improving women’s rights and equality, modernization of the society, women are still less likely to take leadership to become manager than men. In educational field, more female teacher than male teacher in primary school, however, fewer women are taking the headship. What are the reasons for this phenomenon? In this essay, I am going to investigate and explain why fewer women step in management position, especially in educational system and the future for women in educational management.  

I have looked few reasons for women holding back from reaching managerial positions. One of them is lack of family support. Browne (2005) stated: “Housework and child care are still seen as primarily the main responsibility of women even both partners are working full time outside the home in paid employment.” Most of women bear a major share of domestic responsibilities and unable to fulfil a demanding role as manager. Lack of working hour flexibility added more difficulty for women to put a full time commitment to a career for the whole of their working lives. Balancing work load and family duties are the major obstacle for women to reach management positions. Unlike men, most women put family ahead of their career, thus fewer female managers than male are at the top positions. If men can increase their share of domestic responsibility, women will be able to participate more fully in management. However, it is very difficult to change people’s perspective which according to (Jacobs, 1994) “women and men have clearly specified role in society, with women performing the expressive roles (providing care for children and husband, etc) and men performing the instrumental roles (provide financial support for the family)”. Other reasons which put women off managerial positions are also link with family support, especially from their male partner. “Men usually derive their power and authority in society from the kind of work they do and the position they might hold in their organization whereas traditionally women have done this through their roles in the family.” (Wolf, 1979)  Among women themselves, not many have great ambition to obtain positions of authority and power in higher lever management positions. I was surprised to found out how small percentage of women would like to become school head in a management course seminar. We had about 15 students in the class, 14 female and 1 male. When lecturer asked, how many of us would like to become teacher, 13 handed up. When lecturer asked, how many of you would like to become head teacher in school. The only male handed up along with 3 other female. We did not have much time to think, it was an instant reaction. This test does not represent any individual. However, it does reflect the fact that women as a group are less ambitious than men. Low aspiration leads to low obtainment of power at work place. Lack of self confidence limited career opportunity for management position. Understand how women think about their career can help us to solve the puzzle. Women not only need to overcome their own straitened circumstance, they also have to face other difficulties from work place. Because of gender stereotyping, some men are reluctant to be supervised by female manages. “Women, it is claimed by men are too emotional and indecisive to be effective managers” (Buchanan & Huczynski, 1997) From an employer’s point of view, it will cost more to hire female than male employee as they often assume women will leave paid employment to have children and have more time off to look after children than their male colleagues. To be able to reach senior management position, you are required to have a continuous career pattern. While women are taking their maternity leave, off sick days for the children, men continue to work and promoted. Some women choose not to have children or family in term to fulfil their career, they are seen as alien. High profile case, such as the French Justice Minister Miss Rachida Dati, she took less than a week’s maternity leave to secure her job. Her action received huge criticism from some women’s group. It was no longer her personal matter, it became a moral issue. “Preference is still given to men over women even if they have the same kind of education professional skills”. (Wolf, 1979) As there are already more male managers than female cross all industries, it is very likely and unintentionally for those male managers to promote a man similar to him in terms of background and attitudes than a woman.