Reducing gender inequality in educational leadership positions in Azerbaijan: A pilot study

1. REDUCINGGENDERINEQUALITYINEDUCATIONAL
LEADERSHIPPOSITIONSINAZERBAIJAN:APILOT
STUDY

2. PROJECT PARTNERS
Principal Investigator
Dr Marina-Stefania Giannakaki,
Queen’s University Belfast
Co-Investigator
Dr Eiman Abdel Meguid,
Queen’s University Belfast
Research assistants in Azerbaijan
Mr Javid Jafarov, KASPI
Mrs Lyailya Shakenova
Other partners in Azerbaijan
(in alphabetical order)
Dr Khatai Aliyev, Qafqaz University
Dr Matanat Gurbanova, Ministry of Education
Mrs Gunash Huseynova, School 1 Malibayli
Mrs Jala Maharramova , School 214, Baku
Mrs Sevinj Ruintan, Baku State University
Mrs Parvana Talibova, Free Teachers
Dr Mehriban Zeynalova, Pure World Association
of Support to Women

3. 3. Work-life
balance.
4. Leadership
styles.
5. Views &
experiences of
gender
discrimination
1. Career paths and
work experiences.
2. Encountered
obstacles & ways of
overcoming these.
AIMS
To explore
female school
leaders’:
.

4. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• Women are underrepresented in leadership across sectors/countries,
including in secondary education.
• Explanations include:
 Stereotypical beliefs that ‘good leadership’ is a male characteristic &
women cannot be successful leaders.
 Male-dominated selection panels.
 Women’s limited social networks.
 Women assuming most family responsibilities.
• However, research shows women leaders are more humanistic in their
approach, which is found to improve learning.

5. METHODOLOGY
1. Questionnaire survey
Initial sample:
350 female leaders in 80 secondary schools (Baku, Khizi &
Sumqayit)
Questionnaires returned:
107 from 36 schools
2. Semi-structured interviews
5 Principals & 5 Vice-Principals (VPs) (Baku including villages
around the city)

6. QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
7%
29%
51%
13%
Participants' age
30-39 40-49 50-59 60 and over
12%
33%
55%
Teaching experience
less than 5 5-10 years more than 10 years
In total, 107 women leaders returned completed questionnaires from
Baku and Sumqayit
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2

7. DOMESTIC DETAILS
• 76% of female leaders were married and the vast majority of them
(88%) had children, most of them (87%) with children over 16.
• More than half of the participants (64%) had cared for relatives
other than their children and 78% of these participants continued
caring for relatives for more than 3 years.

8. SHARINGDOMESTICRESPONSIBILITIES
• Nearly half of the participants (46%) did more than 50% of housework
themselves and 31% out of this 46% did more than 80% of housework
themselves.
• Approximately 80% of the participants reported that they got neither
paid domestic help nor help from relatives.
• 42% of the participants reported that their husbands either did less than
20% housework or zero.

9. TABLE 1 - Extent to which gender-related factors were an
obstacle to women’s career progression
OBSTACLE Not at all /
A little
To some
extent
Quite a lot
/ Very
much
People not taking me seriously 85.1% 11.9% 3.0%
Time to prove I had the capacity to be
leader
87.8% 10.8% 1.4%
Raising children 86.1% 6.9% 6.9%
Lack of childcare 90.3% 8.3% 1.4%
Lack of confidence 98.5% 0% 1.5%
Male-dominated selection panels 95.0% 1.5% 4.5%
Leadership positions dominated by
men
92.4% 4.5% 3.0%
Age 97.5% 2.5% 0%
Gender 96.4% 3.6% 0%
 Most female Principals/VPs did not feel they faced major obstacles
related to their gender in their quest to take up their leadership posts.

10. 91%
84%
79%
62%
48%
36%
24%
13%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Collaboration with teacher colleagues
Carefully researching the problem
Taking my time
Involving students in discussions
Small committee/small team approach
Acting quickly
Individual reflection and action
Inviting outside specialists/experts to help with the process
percentage of participants
Approaches
Approaches used by female leaders in decision making and problem
solving
FIGURE 3 - Percentage of participants using different approaches
in decision-making/problem-solving

11. 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Chi-
square
Collaboration with
colleagues
57.1% 93.5% 90.9% 100% 11.03
(0.01)
Involving students in
discussions
28.6% 74.2% 56.4% 71.4% 6.52
(0.09)
Inviting outside
specialists/experts to
help with the process
42.9% 9.7% 12.7% 7.1% 6.21
(0.10)
TABLE 2 – Percentage of participants using different
approaches in decision-making/problem-solving
The 30-39 age group differed statistically from other groups (5% & 10% levels
of significance).
 Younger leaders were less participative in decision-making than older
leaders. But more of them invited experts to help with the process
compared with older leaders.

12. Years (average) No. of
respondents
30-39 3.4 7
40-49 2.3 23
50-59 2 34
60-69 1.8 12
TABLE 3 – Years women spent willing to become
leaders before they attained their position
The 30-39 group differed statistically from other groups (one
way ANOVA, F = 3.99, p = 0.01)
 The younger a woman was, the longer she had wanted to
become a leader before she actually took up post.

13. Main qualities most female leaders felt they had:
• Caring (64%)
• Organised (47%)
• Ability to work in a team (43%)
• Objective (41%)
• Communicative (41%)
Qualities applying only to a minority of female leaders (less than 10%):
• Informal
• Non-competitive
• Aware of individual differences
• Resilient

14. Strongly
disagree /
Disagree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Agree /
Strongly
agree
Gender does not have direct influence on the
success of educational leaders
15% 4% 81%
I feel there is a gendered structure to
educational leadership
88.9% 6.1% 5%
I have been told that leadership positions are
more suitable for men
54% 15% 31%
I am confident my educational credentials
were carefully considered when applying for
my current leadership position
5.8% 1.9% 92.3%
I feel women have achieved equal status in
the recruitment/hiring process of educational
leadership positions
7.8% 0% 92.3%
TABLE 4 - Women leaders perceptions of the influence of
gender on their career progression
 Most female Principals/VPs did not feel they faced gender discrimination in
their quest to take up their leadership posts.

15. QUALITATIVE FINDINGS
DEMOGRAPHICS:
• All female leaders interviewed were married.
• 3 were 30-39 years old;
• 5 were 40-59 years old.
• 2 were 60 years old or more.
• 5 were from Baku
• 5 were from regions outside Baku

16. MAKING SENSE OF WOMEN’S TALK:
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING TO US?
Themes identified through the qualitative
analysis of interview data

17. Absenceofa
career
progressionplan
(8women)
• I never had a plan to be a vice principal. My
previous principal and vice-principals decided it. I
asked: Why me?...Later I understood that
everything with me was positive. (P7)
• I did not have any plans for management, but the
circumstances made me come to this field. (P8)

18. Difficult,but
positive,
experienceof
seekinga
leadership
position
(9women)
• [the interview] was difficult…I was excited... I did
not feel anything negative. (P2)
• I entered [the interview room]… The
environment was nice. 4 of them were women
and 3 were men. Mostly men asked. (P1)
• I had training on management for a month. I
learnt lots of things. (P10)
• It is a one year marathon. (P5)

19. MOTIVATION
FORBECOMING
LEADERS
Willingnessto
bringabout
positivechangein
schools
(3women)
• You know I love children. I want to make
everything comfortable for children... to take care
of all of them. (P4)
• There were some things I wasn’t satisfied with.. I
thought I would do this to achieve successful
education, provide a healthy environment,
respect teachers… (P6)

20. MOTIVATION
FORBECOMING
LEADERS
Personalskills&
qualities
(7women)
• I feel my potential of management is not limited
within a classroom and I can manage a bigger
audience. (P5)
• I have strong organisational skills...my skills have
been visible and attractive. (P10)
• There are people who want to continue the same
job till the end of their life. They do not try to be
promoted...I am not one of them. (P2)

21. Supportfrom
family,friends&
colleagues
(practicaland
emotional)
(allwomen)
• My husband’s role in my career is huge. He always
supported me. He always pushed me. (P2)
• My mother took care of my children…Once I was late
at school and my mum sent me food to the school.
(P6)
• I have a housekeeper at home...It is impossible
without help. (P1)
• I have some people around me… when I decided [to
become Principal] they told me ‘‘Go ahead, you
can…’’ When I was disappointed, a call from one of
them encouraged me. (P5)
• My colleagues supported me…And my previous
Principal specially supported me. (P9)

22. Strongrole
models
(relatives,
teachers,senior
colleagues,
academics)
(allwomen)
• My uncle was a teacher and Vice-Principal and he
has influenced me. (P10)
• My mother worked as teacher for 51 years…My
mother always told us that the best profession
was teaching. (P4)
• My father was a very good Principal. (P6)
• I can never ignore the influence of my Principal,
when I worked at the private school. He was a
foreigner and had his own methods. (P9)
• Some education specialists...Hikmat Alizada,
Abdul Alizad, Hagigat Mammadova...These
people [have influenced me]. Do you know how I
was before? I was a weak housewife...(P3)

23. Husband,his
family,ormale
relatives:
asourceof
resistance
(5women)
• When my husband heard it, he said ‘What????
Principal??? She’ll go to meetings, sit with men…’
(P6)
• I wanted to do a PhD but my husband tried
everything not to let me do PhD. (P8)
• He supported me, but when I first came to his
family, after my wedding, I wanted to go to work,
we had a big scandal in the family (P7)
• My husband supported me, although he changed his
mind after I became Principal. He became more
jealous. (P1)
• Only my brother hesitated a bit… (P3)

24. Relationship-
orientedand
nurturing
leadershipstyles
(7women)
• Staff should see that the Principal cares for
them…Staff can enter a female principal’s room
anytime. (P6)
• Women are more careful and attentive. (P3)
• You should have a personal approach with students
and parents. (P7)
• There was a teacher and I had a problem with her…
Once I called her ‘‘my daughter’’ and after this she
was very happy… and it worked. (P8)

25. Yetcentralisedand
directive–a
benevolent
authoritarianism?
(emphasisonrules,
structure,
formality)
(7women)
• I like to control everything myself including the
timetable, students, lesson monitoring…(P4)
• For me, rules and discipline are very important. It
does not matter students or teachers, they
should be disciplined.(P10)
• Without me nobody can decide. I make the final
decision (P1)

26. Decisionsmay
besharedonly
withsenior
teachers
(7women)
• When we need to decide at school, we have a
meeting with our heads. We discuss together and
come to conclusion. (P3)
• Before making a decision I get advice from more
experienced people. (P5)
• I listen to my Vice-Principals. Then we decide. (P6)

27. Aminority
involvedother
non-senior
teachersor
studentsin
decision-making
(3women)
• Sometimes I may discuss with students. (P7)
• Generally when I make a decision I prefer getting
advice and discuss it with people related to the
issues. I am a democratic person. (P2)

28. Nurturing
traditionally
masculine
attributes
(sometimes
contrarytowhat
theyfeelthey
are)
• I am cool enough. (P5)
• I have a nickname in our street.. They call me
‘‘man Afila’’. I have some characters which men
have. (P3)
• Being in management requires you to be more
serious, even if you do not want. Sometimes, I ask
myself: ‘‘Is this really me?’’ (P10)
• I take risks. (P6)
(The next two slides are also examples of such traits)

29. Ambition,self-
assuranceand
determination
(success-oriented
values)
(allwomen)
• I have a character. If I start something, I finish…I
knew that I would be able to do it... I always
wanted to be a prime minister and thought I
would be. (P1)
• I always worked hard. I do not accept it ‘‘I cannot
do it’’. (P7)
• I am a bit ambitious and stubborn. So, if I say I
cannot or I am tired , it means I am weak and if I
am weak, why am I here in this case? (P9)

30. Antagonistic
outlook
(competitiveness)
(4women)
• I always thought to be the best one. I wanted to
be the best child, the best wife, the best mother..
I think I have achieved all these. (P7)
• After the marriage, I was always joking with my
husband ‘‘You will see, one day I will have an
upper position than you and you will be under
me’’. (P1)

31. Noapparent
gender
discriminationat
work
(8women)
• If I worked in a field other than education, maybe
I would say ‘‘yes, there is discrimination’’. But in
education no. (P9)
• I never faced disadvantage because I am a
woman…It may be the case in other fields. But
not in education. (P2)
• It is an advantage to be a woman. When I go to
meetings, all attention is on me…They respect
you because you are a woman. (P1)
• No. The opposite. We women are better and
more active. (P10)

32. Yetamale-
dominatedculture
isrevealedinother
partsofthe
interviewsthat
subtlyaffect
women’scareers
(8women)
• I have never felt discrimination, but maybe it exists…Ιt
is normal. Men’s logical thinking is more developed than
women’s...(P4)
• I haven’t had this problem personally...When I first
came, some male teachers didn’t accept me as VP. It
made me laugh because one man went to the Principal
to complain about me...Later everything was OK. (P5)
• I never had a problem of discrimination...I think women
leaders are underrepresented in our region because
there aren’t enough jobs for men, so men choose to be
in school management. But in Baku men can find better
paid jobs. (P8)
• Men are always a step further..Sometimes I see a young
inexperienced man being trusted more than me. (P6)

33. Hardwork:
women’s
doubleburden
ofworkand
family
(8women)
• When I came here it was a deprived school. It was
not easy to improve the situation. Sometimes I
worked during weekends. My children slept on
these sofas and I worked. (P1)
• When I return home [from work], first I cook. On
weekends I have a deep cleaning…. My sister-in-
law was ill for about 2-3 years and I took care of
her. (P6)
• It is extremely difficult to have family and career
together. To manage, you should eliminate
something. I cannot eliminate the family. I cannot
decrease my job. So I decrease the time I spend
sleeping. (P5)

34. Limited
contributionof
husbandsto
domestic
responsibilities
(7womensaid
theirhusbands
sharedsome
domestic
responsibilities)
• He helps. Not of course in the kitchen, but for
example if I haven’t been able to do anything at
home, he does not complain. (P10)
• He helps. He cooks something for himself. He
works in the garden. (P7)
• It is true my husband helps but anyway he is a
man…Let me say it like this: he is a perfect father.
(P1)
• He does shopping for me, he can cook when he
needs. (P2)

35. Strong
conventionsand
conformityto
societalnorms
(allwomen)
• My husband didn’t help with housework when
we were in the village, but here in the city he
helps. People in the village think that men
shouldn’t help women. They judge men if they
help their wives. (P6)
• For me, appearance for a woman is very
important. (P1)
• My husband says ‘‘If we have guests at home, do
not ask me anything with housework .. Later I can
help you’’. (P5)

36. Wanting-or
forced?-toget
everythingdone
anddoitwell!!
Needingto
‘prove’
themselves?
(7women)
• I proved to my husband that a woman can work and
help family too. (P3)
• No, I do not accept paid domestic help. If I cannot
manage my home, why do I need to work? (P9)
• I didn’t stop my career [during maternity leave]. I
gave online lessons [in chess] and private lessons at
home. My students even won and got places in
championships. (P1)
• I didn’t waste time during maternity leave. While I
was making them sleep I read a book… (P5)
• I can manage everything at work and in the family. I
don’t have any difficulties...I never took a sick leave.
I even arrange my medical appointments on
weekends. (P4)

37. Satisfactionwith
leadershiproles:
Alearning
experiencefor
women
(9women)
• I love my school. When I enter my school I forget
everything…Sometimes it was difficult [to be a
Vice-Principal] but… difficulties motivated me
more. (P8)
• I love my job.(P3)
• Being a Principal changes you, your approach to
the world, your respect to yourself…it increases
your self-confidence. (P1)
• In spite of being difficult, it is interesting. (P5)

38. Whatneedsto
changeformore
womento
becomeleaders
ineducation
1. Men / husbands / families
(2 women)
2. Women themselves should set higher
goals & be more confident
(3 women)
3. No response
(5 women)

39. SUMMARY (1)
• Most leaders were married with grown up children.
• Women in leadership positions tended to be the main
housekeepers and carers of family members for extended periods
of time.
• Female leaders did not appear to have experienced gender
discrimination in their career progression.
• There were no explicit (structural) barriers in the school system for
women becoming leaders.

40. SUMMARY (2)
• A male-dominated culture was, to some extent, apparent, perhaps
affecting their careers in indirect ways.
• Female leaders were relationship-oriented in their leadership
styles, yet centralised and authoritative in decision-making.
• Younger women were less participative in decision-making (30-39
years) than other age groups.
• Female leaders enjoyed their work and appreciated the learning
coming from it.