– Reshma Ravishanker 

Even as women constitute nearly half the workforce in India’s education sector, less than 30 percent of them are engaged in leadership roles, a recent report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

Although “Most teachers are women, few lead” is the key revelation of “Leadership in Education: Lead for Learning” section of Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024-25, which was released on Wednesday.

UNESCO found that globally women constitute 57 percent of the workforce, especially in secondary schools as teachers but there are fewer female principals in accordance with this number. The number of female teachers is less by at least 20 percentage points. Only over 11 percent countries of the world had taken concrete steps towards addressing gender gap in principal recruitment.

Researchers also found that students performed better in schools managed by female principals both in numerical and reading abilities than schools managed by their male counterparts.

The report highlights that despite various efforts to close the gender gap, the trend of underrepresentation of women in leadership persists in several countries. Very few nations have implemented policies aimed at increasing female representation in leadership positions. To address this issue, the report recommends gender-sensitive hiring practices, mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements, and childcare support.

In its analysis of political leadership within the education sector, the report notes that from 2010 to 2023, only 27% of education ministers globally were women. This disparity is not just a matter of representation—it has significant implications for policy and decision-making. The presence of women in leadership roles was shown to contribute positively to inclusion, equitable education, and community participation.

In the Indian context, the report points out that while the country has achieved near-universal primary school enrolment, it continues to struggle with low learning outcomes and inadequate leadership capacity.

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