In female-dominated fields, male leadership dominates.
76% of American teachers are women, yet they represent only 24% of school district superintendents, according to ASAA. This issue is also seen in the UK, where in 2015, women made up 62% of secondary teachers but just 36% of headteachers. Interestingly, women are proportionally represented in intermediate leadership roles, and the disparity increases further up the leadership ladder.
We also see inequality in the fashion industry, where 85% of fashion graduates are female but are underrepresented on the runway. At 2016 Paris Fashion Week, just 37% of designers were women, and even at New York Fashion Week (which showcases more young and emerging designers), 47.3% of designers were female. Of 50 major fashion brands, just 14 are run by women.
Female dominance of a field is not necessarily an indicator of its commitment to gender equality.
There are many ideas surrounding why in female-dominated fields, men tend to advance easier to leadership roles. Although some cite that women are “less ambitious”, Dr Jill Gould believes this to be an “archaic approach”, and that gender bias is the culprit.
Furthermore, a Hewlett-Packard study found that men will apply for a position if they have just 60% of the qualifications, whilst women are unlikely to apply unless they meet 100%. This may be a contributing factor that does not reflect ambition, but rather self-confidence afforded to them societally, where women are often made to believe that they must be the best to be worthy of advancement.
Written by Josie
Artwork by Zara Masood
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