Women in leadership of higher education: critical barriers in Jordanian universities

Abstract

Inequality and the lack of inclusion of women in academic higher education (HE) leadership roles persist globally. While inclusivity at the top also applies to ethnicity and disability, the issue of gender is the focus of this article. More specifically, the distinct need is to examine the barriers that slow down and/or obstruct women from advancing in academia and gaining leadership positions. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide a review of the case in Jordanian Universities. It presents the prevailing situation from the results of a desktop study and a survey questionnaire of the barriers that impede career progression for women in HE. The severity index (SI) formula is used to delineate critical barriers found in the literature in a Jordanian context through a questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to group the critical barriers, which in turn was used to derive an action plan to improve career progression for female academics. The study exposed that women’s participation in leadership was determined to be low, which is attributed to several barriers: sociocultural barriers, gender stereotypes, lack of skill and opportunities, work-life conflicts, social network obstacles, mentoring and support, and poor institutional policies that support women. As a result, several actions are recommended to support an increase in female leaders.