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Pakistan, as one of the commonwealth countries, has guaranteed commitment to provide equal opportunities to both genders in various spheres of life. In particular, article 34 of the constitution outlines quotes ‘Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life’. However, studies show that the law has often not been effective in notable in taking leadership positions in universities. A study by Batool, Sajid, and Shaheen (2013) carried out a study done in Pakistan, as one of the Commonwealth countries. Data was collected using secondary sources and analyzed through tabulations, graphs, and frequencies in which several universities were sampled. The study revealed that despite the increased number of women in the teaching profession, very low representation of women in leadership in both private and public universities was evident. Turesky et al., (2011) allude that changes in university principles to enhance female leadership require the policymakers to alter their own traditional beliefs to avoid reproducing normative inequalities. Zayad and Aluzubi, (2018) recommend best practices from other universities on how to implement gender equality policies that recognize career growth of both genders particularly for female academics. Mainstreaming gender policies is a very strong variable that can be used to promote gender parity in positions of leadership.
In Nigeria, Oghoadena (2016) examined gender issues associated with women's participation in university leadership. From an exploratory qualitative design, the study generated empirical evidence through structured face-to-face interviews with purposively selected 36 female academics. Thematic analysis of the data first revealed the concern over the low representation of women in university leadership. The study also noted inadequate and non-availability of older female role models for upcoming female leaders in academia, unfriendly gender policies, and a work environment that does not support women's leadership. However, the study was limited in methodology because qualitative studies do not allow generalization to other populations while the use of women as the sample may limit the balance of findings. Osibanjo and Adenji (2012) conducted a study aimed at assessing the growth of females in positions of leadership in Nigeria. Data was collected using questionnaires and a sample size of 237 respondents was selected through stratified random sampling. One of the findings relevant to the proposed study showed that gender-responsive support was not adequate. The study recommended that to achieve and sustain the growth of females in positions of leadership, a supportive and gender-responsive organizational structure must be put in place. FAWE (2015) advances the same view that without an organizational supportive structure attempts to address gender disparity in leadership in higher education may remain a pipe dream. Consequently, gender empowerment initiatives to enable women to be considered or participate in elective positions within higher education management structures are imperative.
University cultures and female leadership ascension can only be challenged if universities are tackled structurally and comprehensively. This can be achieved by observing the policies of gender equality, which advocate that males and females have to be at par in all human endeavors so that male domination can be dismantled (Mwando et al.,2014). However, due to the existing gaps in gender mainstreaming in universities, the roots of gender inequality are still deeply placed. Ford (2016) submits that the opportunities for female academics in universities nowadays are abundant and what is required is for them to be more proactive because the concept of impenetrability no longer exists in universities. These sentiments are echoed by Done et.al, (2016) who state that women themselves refuse to occupy positions of leadership. However, it should be noted that those female academics who are ambitious to lead in universities are often punished and deemed incompatible, too bossy, and power-hungry (De la Rey 2017).
Ndedi, et al (2015) reiterated the need for institutions to adopt policies aimed at safeguarding the interests of women and men towards promoting equal access to rights, voice, and resources. According to the study, gender equality is a fundamental goal and a means of attaining sustainable development in Africa. Development of institutions and domestication of policies should, therefore, ensure that all citizens, and in particular women should have a voice when it comes to decision making. The findings show that governments that practice good governance domesticate gender equality goals. The study however does not address the strategies that have been employed by various stakeholders towards achieving positive advances in governance.
The UN recognizes that gender parity within the organization is a ‘crucial first step to orienting the system to deliver on gender equality in education’ (United Nations, 2017). Even so, efforts to ensure equal representation in positions of authority have fallen short, with a negative relationship between seniority and the share of women. UNICEF has made some strides by requiring senior-level expertise on gender and targeting parity in senior leadership as one of the five gender equality benchmarks against which the organization is evaluated (UNICEF, 2015). A task force reviewing the UN as a whole has set 2026 as the target year for parity at all levels across the system (United Nations, 2017). Gender policy formulation is not adequate and therefore must be supported by an effective implementation mechanism if the advantages of gender-sensitive leadership are to be realized (Pieper,2017).
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