This blog draws on research conducted in Tanzania by Lydia Wilard, Executive Director of Learning and Engagement of CAMFED.

Women leaders are critical for creating inclusive learning environments and improving student outcomes. Research shows that schools led by women often have better academic performance and foster more collaborative, supportive cultures.

Yet, structural barriers, entrenched social norms and limited access to professional development continue to hold women back from leadership opportunities in the education sector.

In Tanzania, for example, while strides have been made in achieving gender parity in school enrollment, women's participation in school leadership remains low, especially at the secondary level.

Without urgent action to change this, we risk perpetuating gender inequality in education leadership for generations to come which exacerbates and reinforces gender norms as well as skewed policy and decision making.

Gender-specific issues—such as menstrual hygiene, school safety and early marriage—are often overlooked while policies and resources remain misaligned with the realities of girls and women.

GPE supports low- and lower-middle income countries to systematically identify and address the barriers to education that affect boys and girls differently, putting gender equality at the heart of planning and implementation of education systems.

Partner countries have raised issues of significant imbalances of male to female teachers and school leaders' ratios within the education workforce due in part to historic patterns of poor educational opportunities for girls.

Barriers to promotion of female school leaders

While both men and women start their teaching careers with similar educational qualifications, women’s pathways to leadership are often delayed by systemic barriers.

Many women struggle with balancing family responsibilities and career aspirations, limited access to further education and societal norms that view leadership as a male domain.

Even with transparent promotion policies in place, the requirement for formal qualifications like a bachelor’s degree unintentionally sidelines many women.

Financial constraints, caregiving duties and fewer opportunities for professional development mean fewer women are eligible for leadership roles when promotions arise.

Moreover, biases within promotion practices remain.

The biases create structural barriers especially when both appointees and appointing officials hold limiting narratives against women leadership.

Women are often placed in caregiving or administrative roles at schools, such as school matron, limiting their visibility to decision makers and reducing their chances of advancing into leadership positions.

Why women’s leadership matters

The underutilization of female potential weakens school performance, limits innovation and maintains patriarchal norms that restrict women’s participation in society. Encouragingly, when women do break through these barriers, the results are transformative.

An earlier GPE blog highlighting the Women in Learning Leadership research in West Africa illustrated the benefits of a more structured competency framework, institutionalized recruitment and career development processes as well as strengthened supervision and support mechanisms for principals.

Their leadership not only challenges gender stereotypes but also inspires the next generation to see leadership as accessible to all.

In districts where more women have been promoted to leadership, positive ripple effects are evident: more girls stay in school, academic results improve and more women are encouraged to pursue leadership paths themselves.

What needs to change

The absence of women in leadership limits role models for girls, discourages ambition and perpetuates stereotypes. To build a pipeline of women leaders in education, we should move beyond equal opportunity rhetoric and address systemic barriers.

Key recommendations include:

• Develop a gender strategy in education: Ministries of education should conduct a gender analysis and set clear targets for women's representation in leadership. Regular gender audits and leadership databases would enhance accountability.
• Establish a female in-service teachers’ education fund: Building on the success of existing scholarship programs, a dedicated fund could support in-service female teachers to pursue higher education and leadership training.
• Promote transparency in promotions: Clear, publicly available promotion criteria and mentorship programs would help ensure women are not overlooked due to outdated assumptions about their roles or capabilities.
• Engage women role models and allies: Development partners, civil society organizations and the private sector can play a critical role by supporting mentorship initiatives, leadership training and campaigns to challenge social norms around women’s leadership.

Tanzania has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender equality through its policies and international agreements.

Now is the time to turn commitment to gender equality in policies and international agreements into transformative action by developing policies that drive system-level change in education leadership.