Female educators face substantial personal, social, and systemic obstacles that prevent them from rising to senior leadership roles in schools, a new study shows.
The barriers are even higher for female teachers from minority groups who face additional layers of discrimination based on race and ethnicity.
The Empowering Women for Principalship: Strategies for Aspiring Leaders report, led by ACU’s Institute for Positive Psychology and Education and based on an analysis of 55 international peer-reviewed studies, has highlighted the causes behind a significant underrepresentation of female school leaders in Australia, and globally.
Figures from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) show that in 2021, men accounted for 31% of leadership positions in Australian schools despite only filling 21% of teaching roles. Meanwhile, 79% of females worked as teachers while 69% had advanced to leadership.
“While there has been a 3% increase in senior female leaders, middle leadership roles for women have declined, and the overall gender distribution among teachers has remained the same,” Chief investigator Associate Professor Theresa Dicke told The Educator.
“Importantly, women face slower pathways to leadership, often taking longer to advance than men. Without addressing underlying barriers, we risk seeing this gap continue or even widen.”
What’s holding aspiring female leaders back?
The ACU’s own landmark annual Principal Health & Wellbeing Survey has repeatedly shown female school leaders experience higher levels of burnout than male school leaders and this can also serve as a deterrent for female candidates, thus further perpetuating the leadership gender gap.
Associate Professor Dicke said the largest barriers to women’s progression are work-life balance pressures, gender bias, and a lack of support.
“For many women, balancing the responsibilities of family life with the high demands of leadership positions like principalship can lead to burnout,” Associate Professor Dicke said.
“Deeply rooted biases can also hinder their careers; women face stereotypes about their competence or emotionality, and women of colour face additional racial bias, creating even greater obstacles.”
Associate Professor Dicke said addressing these issues requires mandatory unconscious bias training for all staff involved in hiring and promotions to address ingrained biases. Also key, says Associate Professor Dicke, is transparent, merit-based promotion criteria to reduce subjective judgment.
“Another important step would be creating a zero-tolerance culture toward gender-based discrimination, supporting women in reporting concerns and navigating challenges.”
Female educators need flexibility and leadership pathways
A female principal in Victoria, who wished to remain anonymous, said flexibility is key to avoiding barriers to senior leadership positions.
“We need to constantly think of things to engage teachers on maternity leave, for example, in the workforce and continuing with their leadership development otherwise it just stops,” she told The Educator.
“There’s a lot of things we can do to support more women as leaders. I encourage women with children or on maternity leave to apply for leadership roles in a part-time or shared capacity. Otherwise, their careers just completely stymie.”
The principal said that as a female leader, she discusses career paths with female staff and encourages them to apply for leadership roles when they come up.
“I think that’s really important,” she said. “While it is hard to find the time, I make sure I reaches out to new female school leaders to create a support network.”
Effective strategies for career advancement
Associate Professor Dicke said mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship are among the most effective strategies, with each providing distinct forms of support essential for overcoming barriers.
“Mentorship offers guidance from experienced leaders, helping women navigate challenges and build confidence,” she said. “Coaching, meanwhile, provides personalised development, enhancing leadership skills and resilience.”
Associate Professor Dicke said the last of these, sponsorship, assists career development through active advocacy, connecting women to opportunities and promoting their visibility.
“Additionally, resilience-building, and cultural awareness are invaluable; leveraging cultural strengths can foster strong relationships and enhance leadership effectiveness.”
The message for education policymakers
Associate Professor Dicke said these findings are critical for Australian policymakers, especially within Catholic secondary schools, as they underscore the need to address gender imbalance in leadership.
“Despite their dominance in teaching roles, women remain underrepresented in senior positions, pointing to systemic challenges that demand policy solutions,” she said.
Associate Professor Dicke said policymakers could help turn the tables by enacting the recommendations made in the ACU’s report.
“These would apply not only to the partner this report was developed with but could apply to many other contexts,” she said.
“This includes mentorship programs, addressing gender bias, and offering leadership training tailored to women.”
Associate Professor Dicke said policymakers could also conduct comprehensive policy reviews to remove barriers to women’s advancement, focusing on promotion processes, fair pay structures, and work-life support.
“Another important step would be to allocate funding for gender equity initiatives, such as scholarships for leadership qualifications and resources to help schools implement recommended strategies,” she said.
“By prioritising these actions, Australia can foster a more inclusive education system that reflects the diverse makeup of its workforce, benefiting from the full leadership potential of both men and women.”