More women moving into educational leadership results in more inclusive school climates that benefit female students and increase professional development opportunities for teachers, a new report contends. Here’s why.
“Although most teachers are female, women face challenges to climbing the leadership ladder in education, just as they do in all professions,” said Stefania Giannini, assistant director-general for education at UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which authored the report.
“You cannot be what you cannot see: more women in educational leadership would help stop gender stereotyping and inspire girls to go further, creating a virtuous cycle of benefits for society at large,” Giannini added.
Key findings
The 2025 Gender Report offers global data revealing gender disparity in education leadership. For example, 57% of secondary school teachers are women. However, in 70 countries with available data, there is a gender gap of 20 percentage points in secondary school leadership positions. And in higher education worldwide, only 30% of leaders are women.
In multiple contexts, female leadership is linked to stronger community engagement, more inclusive policies and collaborative school cultures. And in some cases, learning outcomes are improved in schools where women are leaders.
According to the 2019 Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems survey, primary schools under female leadership in Benin, Madagascar, Senegal and Togo achieved better outcomes in reading and math, equivalent to an additional year of schooling, compared to those under male leadership.
Unfortunately, several barriers get in the way of elevating women to leadership roles, the report suggests. In some cases, school principal hiring decisions risk being gender-biased where selection panels are dominated by men.
In the U.S., in districts where women held 75% or more of school board seats, women secured nearly 50% of superintendent positions, compared to just 33% in districts with the equivalent male majority.
Recommendations
The researchers offer several recommendations for achieving a gender balance in education leadership, including:
Tracking women’s progress towards educational leadership
- Assess women’s leadership pathways to pinpoint where they face barriers.
- Publicize broken or weak points throughout the process to expose “systemic biases” hindering women’s ascent to leadership.
Repair systemic flaws
- Train recruitment and hiring panels to shift mindsets and remove gender bias from decision-making.
- Cultivate cultures that support women’s retention and advancement.
Guide women’s ascent to leadership positions
- Women are more likely to be promoted when they are coached and mentored by experienced female leaders.
- Develop the capacity to implement effective school leadership practices.
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