Challenges and Successes Faced by Women in Leadership Roles in School Education in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Despite women constituting a significant proportion of the educational workforce, leadership positions in the school education sector remain disproportionately occupied by men. While structural and socio-cultural barriers to women’s advancement are widely acknowledged, they are rarely examined in depth, particularly within the Central Asian context, where research on this issue remains sparse. This study investigates the key barriers and enabling factors that shape the professional trajectories of women leaders in Kazakhstani school education and explores the strategies these women employ to navigate their paths to leadership. Drawing on a qualitative phenomenological approach and feminist theoretical framework, the study engaged eight female educational leaders, four from private schools and four from public schools, through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, yielding five overarching themes. Findings reveal that participants experienced deeply entrenched societal perceptions equating leadership with masculinity as a primary barrier. Additional challenges included the difficulty of balancing professional responsibilities with family obligations, limited institutional support, and restricted access to leadership development opportunities – all of which compelled participants to pursue professional growth largely through self-directed means. The study concludes with targeted recommendations for strengthening women’s leadership in Kazakhstan’s school education sector, contributing to a growing body of knowledge on gender equity in educational leadership in underrepresented regional contexts.