The leaky pipeline: where ‘exactly’ are these leakages for women leaders in higher education?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Almost a quarter-century has passed in the new millennium; howoever, the phrase ‘Nihil Novum Sub Sole' is still valid for females struggling to move forward amid a male-dominant world. Structural, cultural, and organisational barriers continue to prevent women from achieving academic leadership positions within educational contexts, the so-called ‘leaky pipeline' phenomenon. This study set out to challenge the overarching influence of patriarchy with its ramifications extending far into female academics’ social and professional lives in higher education institutions. Therefore, two research questions are specified: (1) What prevents women within the faculty from engaging in leadership roles? (2) How can barriers to leadership roles be categorised for women in higher education? This study employed a qualitative paradigm and was conducted with 15 female colleagues working within various faculties of universities situated in the capital of Türkiye. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Peer debriefing is referred to. This enhances the likelihood of preserving rigour and trustworthiness. The transcriptions of the recordings are sent to the participants asking for any changes. The findings reveal female faculty possess dissimilar concerns about leadership roles: personal, societal, or structural. Our study is uniquely positioned as it provides novel insights into barriers to progress into leadership.