Handbook of Research on Practices for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education.
This article discusses female educational leaders’ experiences in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the UK to unravel both barriers and facilitators and their main guiding principles in leading as advancing women in leadership roles is in the best interest of the society. The current study revealed that they still face sex-related barriers but have more support as more women have entered HEI. It concludes that HEI need to examine the kinds of professional development programs offered to aspiring female leaders and other staff to help women become more successful as leaders. While several studies have reported on diversity management issues in HEI, this study highlights the facilitators of female educational leaders’ advancement and indicates that the redefinition of capabilities of successful leaders and modern trends such as reverse mentoring and gender-neutral recruitment may assist to eliminate gender bias and highlight attractive traits that female educational leaders bring to the table.