Leadership under pressure: Investigating the challenges faced by women departmental heads in South African schools
Buhle Stella Nhlumayo & Ntombikayise Nkosi
Abstract
This paper explored the challenges women departmental heads face in South African schools, focusing on how gendered dynamics, institutional expectations, and systemic barriers shape their leadership experiences. Although departmental heads play a critical role in bridging instructional leadership and school management, women in these positions often navigate additional layers of complexity arising from socio-cultural norms, gender stereotypes, and unequal access to leadership development opportunities. Grounded in the Transformational Leadership Theory, this study adopted an interpretive qualitative approach and utilised narrative inquiry as the research design. It drew on semi-structured interviews with six women departmental heads across primary and secondary schools in a selected district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The data, collected over a three-month period, were analysed using the thematic narrative analysis method. The findings revealed that women Departmental Heads (DHs) experienced leadership as a role fraught with constant gendered pressure, patriarchy, isolation, and institutional indifference. The findings further revealed that DHs, through resilient leadership, engaged in a quiet revolution, transforming mindsets and communities, breaking stereotypes, not with force, but with grace and strength. By giving voice to the lived experiences of these leaders, the study contributes to the discourse on gender equity in educational leadership and offers practical recommendations for creating more transformational, inclusive, and supportive environments for women in mid-level leadership roles.
Keywords
educational leadership, gendered expectations, patriarchal barriers, resilient leadership, women departmental heads
Author information & Contribution
Buhle Stella Nhlumayo. Corresponding author. PhD. Senior Lecturer, University of South Africa. Email: nhlumbs@unisa.ac.za
Ntombikayise Nkosi. PhD. Senior Lecturer, University of South Africa. Email: nkosin1@unisa.ac.za
"All authors contributed equally to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work is funded by the Women in Leadership and Management Research Project, and the APC is paid by the University of South Africa.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by the University of South Africa. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relevant clearance(s) by the University of South Africa.
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
Ahmed, S. K. (2025). Sample size for saturation in qualitative research: Debates, definitions, and strategies. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 5, 100171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100171
Akinwale, A. A. (2023). Gender equity and social progress: Empowering women and girls to drive sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Innovation Research and Advanced Studies, 2(2). https://harvardpublications.com/hijiras/article/view/66
Alemu, A. (2024). How female principals in Ethiopia fight for gender justice: A qualitative study of their challenges and strategies. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1383942. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1383942
Barkhuizen, E. N., Masakane, G., & van der Sluis, L. (2022). In search of factors that hinder the career advancement of women to senior leadership positions. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 48, 1986. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v48i0.1986
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free Press.
Beatrice, K., Nyamwaka, E. O., & Kandagor, D. R. (2024). Breaking barriers: The struggles and prospects of women leadership in the Gusii Region. East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 7(2), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.7.2.2232
Bell, W. T., II. (2023). Male leadership bias in leading women (Order No. 30812525) [Doctoral dissertation, Gender Watch Collection]. ProQuest One Academic. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/male-leadership-bias-leading-women/docview/2894665444/se-2
Bridges, D., Wulff, E., & Bamberry, L. (2023). Resilience for gender inclusion: Developing a model for women in male‐dominated occupations. Gender, Work & Organization, 30(1), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12672
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
Bush, T., & Glover, D. (2021). Research on school leadership in South Africa: A systematic review. Systematic Reviews of Research in Basic Education in South Africa, 115. https://doi.org/10.18820/9781991201157/05
Cele, S. M. K., & Maphalala, M. C. (2025). Women in school leadership: Their strategies for success. In N. Nkosi & M. C. Maphalala (Eds.), Women’s leadership in African education. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-90038-9_2
Chance, N. L. (2022). Resilient leadership: A phenomenological exploration into how Black women in higher education leadership navigate cultural adversity. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 62(1), 44–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678211003000
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2004). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. John Wiley & Sons.
Coleman, M. (2020). Women leaders in the workplace: Perceptions of career barriers, facilitators and change. Irish Educational Studies, 39(2), 233–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2019.1697952
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
Faugoo, D. (2024). Women’s leadership as an accelerator for gender equality and advancing SDGs for a sustainable future. Asian Journal of Research in Business and Management, 6(3), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.55057/ajrbm.2024.6.3.3
Imhanrenialena, B. O., Ebhotemhen, W., Agbaeze, E. K., Eze, N. C., & Oforkansi, E. S. (2025). Exploring how institutionalized patriarchy relates to career outcomes among African women: Evidence from Nigeria. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 40(1), 43–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/GM-06-2023-0223
Kaka, S. B., & Hashmi, K. (2025). Gendered leadership and professional identity in Sindh’s higher education: Institutional barriers and policy implications. Journal of Political Stability Archive, 3(3), 909–928. https://doi.org/10.63468/jpsa.3.3.62
Khashane, K. E. (2021). Demographic and personality factors predicting leadership style and coping strategies of working women in the public sector: A case of Vhembe District in Limpopo Province (Doctoral dissertation, University of Venda).
Lawson, K. M. (2021). Women’s daily performance, enjoyment, and comfort in male-dominated majors: The role of social interactions in classes. Research in Higher Education, 62(4), 478–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-020-09609-5
Liem, C. (2025). Female leaders in the male-dominated industry: Is that possible? FIRM Journal of Management Studies, 10(1), 73–85.
Maphalala, M. C., Mncube, D. W., & Mkhasibe, R. G. (2022). South African secondary school discussions on digital learning and pandemic preparedness. International Journal of Higher Education, 11(6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v11n6p18
Maponya, T. J. (2020). The instructional leadership role of the school principal on learners’ academic achievement. African Educational Research Journal, 8(2), 183–193. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.82.20.042
McCann, H. (2022). Is there anything “toxic” about femininity? The rigid femininities that keep us locked in. In R. A. Hoskin & K. L. Blair (Eds.), Critical femininities (pp. 9–22). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003329657
Moorosi, P. (2021). Representations of school leadership and management in Africa: A postcolonial reading. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 6(3), 692–722. https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2021.3.6
Moyo, Z., Perumal, J., & Hallinger, P. (2020). Struggling to make a difference against the odds: A synthesis of qualitative research on women leading schools in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(10), 1577–1594. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2020-0015
Muthoka, S. M. (2021). Women and education in Kenya (Order No. 28490591). ProQuest One Academic. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/women-education-kenya/docview/2540760845/se-2
Ndyali, L. (2024). A study exploring the Belt and Road Initiative and the impact on cultural differences in African cooperative countries. Modern Economy, 15(2), 144–162. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2024.152008
Nhlumayo, B. S. (2025). Experiences of female school principals on resilient leadership practices in leading and managing rural schools. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 10(3), 868-897. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1651688
Nhlumayo, B. S., & Ngubane, S. A. (2025). Challenges and opportunities for females in educational leadership: Perspectives from departmental heads in South African schools. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 13(2), 129–143. http://dx.doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.16344
Nkosi, N., & Nhlumayo, B. (2025). The missing middle in the leadership continuum: Voices of women deputy principals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Research in Educational Policy and Management, 7(1), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2025.5
Phebeni, N. M., & Mpofu, P. (2025). The role of transformational leadership in promoting cultural change in Eswatini high schools. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(1), 184–207. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.3
Republic of South Africa. (1996). The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Government Printers.
Republic of South Africa. (2013). Gender Equality Bill of 2013. Government Printers.
Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage.
Smith, S. G., & Sinkford, J. C. (2022). Gender equality in the 21st century: Overcoming barriers to women’s leadership in global health. Journal of Dental Education, 86(9), 1144–1173. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13059
Subedi, K. R. (2021). Determining the sample in qualitative research. Online Submission, 4, 1–13.
Subramanian, P., Gallant, M., & Pani, P. K. (2025). Empowering women: Navigating work environment challenges with mental toughness. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 40(3), 447–466. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-01-2024-0045
Szilak, K. (2023). Women’s perceptions of self and leadership: Exploring gender roles, implicit gender biases, imposter syndrome, and confidence in leadership potential (Order No. 30990236). ProQuest One Academic. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/women-s-perceptions-self-leadership-exploring/docview/2928120195/se-2
Tapala, T. T., Fuller, M., & Mentz, K. (2022). Perceptions of departmental heads on their curriculum leadership roles: Voices from South Africa. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 21(4), 816–829. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1854790
Wald, N., & Golding, C. (2020). Why be a head of department? Exploring the positive aspects and benefits. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2121–2131. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1578736
Zheng, C., Mi, Y., Guo, H., Chen, H., Lin, Z., & Zhao, S. (2025). Optimal spatial–temporal triangulation for bearing-only cooperative motion estimation. Automatica, 175, 112216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.automatica.2025.112216
Cite this article:
Nhlumayo, B.S. & Nkosi, N. (2025). Leadership under pressure: Investigating the challenges faced by women departmental heads in South African schools. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(4), 207-225. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353291
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Most read articles
- Social media usage and the academic performance of Filipino junior high school students
- Exploring the factors influencing commuters’ satisfaction and the use of public utility buses in Quezon City, Philippines
- A narrative exploration of romantic experiences and ideal relationship standards among Filipino Gen Z
- Students’ exposure to social media and their radical involvement on the societal issues in the Philippines
- ChatGPT integration significantly boosts personalized learning outcomes: A Philippine study
- Tiktok made me book it: The impact of Tiktok on tourism destination selection of generation Z and millennials in Manila
- Senior high school students’ awareness and literacy on computer software applications
- Self-perception of ABM students towards their academic, social and emotional college preparedness
- Enhancing financial literacy among Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries
- Emotional intelligence and leadership efficacy of university student leaders