Voice and Agency: Evaluating the “Empowering Women for Leadership in Administration Roles” Training Program Held at Yarmouk University

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this qualitative research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program directed towards the female administrative staff at Yarmouk University (YU), called "Empowering Women for Leadership Roles". The program ran from 2018 to 2020 at YU and was funded by Global Affairs Canada. Sixty female participants successfully completed ten training modules within the program to enhance their personal and professional capacity. Methods: The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, and the interview questions were based on Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model. Results: The main results revealed that the training program facilitated the women’s learning, enriched their skills, and helped them cultivate resilience, enabling them to draw upon their personal strengths to overcome adversity and marginalization. Conclusions: Based on the results, it is concluded that women should receive training in the early stages of their careers, enabling them to deploy their acquired skills to promote career advancement. Additionally, women holding mid and senior positions must receive continuous support through training and development programs to enhance their leadership skills.