Female Ambition Research Articles

Instrumental Femininity: The Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School and the Shaping of Social and Gender Hierarchies in Modern Japan

Abstract: How can we assess the impact of the ideology of female domesticity on women's higher education and professional opportunities? This article examines this question through the lens of Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School, Japan's first tertiary educational institution for women. Graduates of this school established for the propagation of gender ideology joined a respectable profession, that of teaching. They used this ideology to justify the upgrade of their alma mater to the rank of university. However, this ideology supported women who chose to specialize in teaching but not in other specialties such as engineering, posing an additional challenge for female aspirants in those fields who sought to enter and excel in traditionally male institutions. By looking at these challenges implied in the institutional evolution of this school, I examine the ways in which this gender ideology allowed the rise of female professionals while limiting women's life choices and professional opportunities.

Who Runs in the End? New Evidence on the Effects of Gender, Ethnicity and Intersectionality on Candidate Selection

Candidate selection within parties is a key stage in the political process and provides an important frame for the degree of representation of social groups in parliaments. We seek to develop a better understanding of the effect of intersectionality on candidate selection processes. We do so by examining the effect of candidates’ key socio-demographic characteristics, like their gender and ethnic background, on their chances of getting nominated by their party. We argue that features of the ideological background of the respective nominating party matter for the chances that women and aspirants with an ethnic background win the nomination as their party’s district candidate. We make use of novel data from the 2021 German federal election that provides detailed information on the candidate selection processes of all major parties in the 299 election districts. By doing so, we apply existing theoretical expectations to an untested case and find that female competitors and aspirants with an ethnic background face difficulties being nominated, in particular in the case of parties with rather traditionalist societal policy positions. We also find that intersectionality matters: female aspirants of ethnic minorities are even less likely to be nominated by ideologically traditional parties.

A Global Assessment of Gender Quota Facilitating Mechanisms: Placement Mandates, Sanctions, and Financial Incentives

How do facilitating mechanisms affect the share of women in parliament? Specifically, is there an ideal combination of quota types and facilitating mechanisms that leads to greater female representation in parliament? This research uses a comprehensive dataset covering 186 countries in 2021 to provide a global landscape of the gender quota types and their facilitating mechanisms. Employing the OLS regression, we identified positive associations between placement mandates and strong sanctions and women’s parliamentary presence in legislative candidate system. In contrast, financial incentives under the reserved seat system showed a negative association. Our country-level analysis reveals that female aspirants face multifaceted challenges, suggesting that multiple issues should be addressed for financial incentives to effectively improve female representation.

Ambitious Self-Condemnation: The Fallen Woman in Novels by Stéphanie-Félicité De Genlis and Amelia Opie

ABSTRACT In her 1804 La Duchesse de la Vallière, Genlis and Opie, in her 1805 Adeline Mowbray portray the fallen woman. In each novel, the heroine’s fall leads her to condemn herself in an exceptional way because this distinguishes her from women like her and isolates her from a world that would integrate her. In seeking to singularize themselves through their active, willful self-repudiation, la Vallière and Adeline reveal an ambitious wish to be publicly recognized as individuals. Yet by casting their heroines’ singularity in terms of self-castigation, Genlis and Opie portray female ambition in a paradoxical fashion.

Are Female Politicians Interested in Mentoring Female Aspirants? A Study of Selected Female Politicians in Nigeria

There has hardly been any study that focuses on mentorship as a way of bringing more women into the political sphere in Nigeria. This study seeks to find out the role of female politicians in mentoring other aspiring female politicians in Nigeria. It adopts qualitative research methods using interview instrument. Responses were obtained from two female politicians from a purposively sampled population based on their mentorship qualities. The study finds that mentorship activities are restricted because women themselves barely get enough opportunities to enable them to become mentors. It recommends an improvement in mentorship by successful female politicians.

Patterns of and Factors Undermining Female Participation in Hard Trades under Tanzania’s Vocational Education and Training System

Abstract
 This study reports the findings on female participation in hard trades under Tanzania’s Vocational Education and Training (VET). This qualitative research involved 72 participants including females’ trainees, instructors, employers and principals. It used semi-structured interview and Focus Group Discussion to collect data, which was subjected to content analysis. Participation patterns indicated far lower female participation in hard than soft trades. The study established the main contributory factors to this lopsided female gender representation in hard trades in Tanzania as gender role stereotyping, employers’ reluctance, lack of role models, absence of formal career guidance and counselling services, as well as gender-based curriculum materials. The study, therefore, recommends for the change in mindset among female aspirants in attitude towards hard trades to increase their participation while society should embrace positive perceptions of the abilities of females to pursue hard trades. VET centres should also employ female instructors in hard trades to serve as role models to encourage other females to opt for hard trades. Finally, VET instructors should encourage female trainees to participate in hard trades.

Aspirations and psychological correlates of Black females

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the prevalence of personal strengths and their correlates among a sample of Black girls residing in urban settings. Specifically, the study assesses the levels of personal strengths (aspirations) and identifies other personal attributes (social responsibility, self-efficacy, emotional restraint, expectations of goals, and mother’s influence) that would predict the levels of aspirations. The results revealed high levels of aspirations and statically significant correlations between aspirations, expectations, self-efficacy, and mother’s influence. Results also revealed that after controlling for mother’s influence, expectation of goal was the strongest significant predictor of aspirations of Black females.

Review Essay: “It all begins with women”: Women's Resilience in Fascist Italy and War

Review Essay: “It all begins with women”: Women's Resilience in Fascist Italy and War

Betty A. Schellenberg. Literary Coteries and the Making of Modern Print Culture, 1740–1790.

Betty A. Schellenberg. Literary Coteries and the Making of Modern Print Culture, 1740–1790.

Leaning in or opting out? Women’s choices in Little Women and Mary Queen of Scots

ABSTRACT This article considers the recent films Mary Queen of Scots and Little Women in the light of their use of historical contexts to reflect on the experiences of modern women. The self-consciously modern and feminist presentations of the female characters are considered, with the different choices they make discussed in the light of the plurality of postfeminism. Analysis of both films considers the tension between the pull of domestic life and the desire for a public role, in the light of feminist writing that encourages women to believe that they can “have it all”. This article argues that, whilst the impressive women depicted in both films can be seen as empowering for modern female viewers, female success in both films requires significant sacrifice and compromise, undermining the idea that it is possible for women to have fulfilling lives in both the public and the domestic sphere. The article concludes that the singularity of the women depicted, whilst in some ways pleasurable and empowering, is ultimately unhelpful in their suggestion that female ambition can only be fulfilled via the kinds of sacrifice that many women will not be able or inclined to make.

The Leadership of Women in the Saudi Higher Education System

This research aims to identify how Saudi Arabian women attain their bargaining power and leadership in educational institutions in leadership positions, and identify the challenges and methodologies used to overcome issues faced by female leaders in higher education (HE) institutions. This study also aims to identify the obstructions faced by Saudi women that prevent them from achieving their career goals; the advice offered to female aspirants of HE leaders from female leaders and finally, determine the steps most likely to be taken to empower women in HE institutions. This research adopts the qualitative study method by reviewing existing data, as well as conducting small-scale research involving women working in academic and administrative positions in Saudi higher-education institutions. The women were chosen from three Saudi HE institutions that were characterized by gender-based segregation. The selected women were interviewed through video conferencing. The results of this study found that Saudi Arabian women experience workplace problems, disrespect, and insubordination. Institutions in Saudi Arabia did not offer the necessary support for female education leaders. Thus, women lack the empowerment and esteem required to successfully discharge their responsibilities. However, Saudi Arabia is taking steps to remedy the situation and has made relatively good progress in recent years.

Danish study shows mixed-gender workplaces make men less likely to want to become managers, but have no effect on women's aspirations

PurposeThe purpose was to find out if greater gender diversity affected male and female aspirations to be managersDesign/methodology/approachHypothesis 1A was that: “Workplace gender diversity of peers is positively correlated with management aspirations among women, but negatively among men.” Hypothesis 1B was that: “Workplace gender diversity of peers is positively correlated with perceived career possibilities among women, but negatively among men.” The authors studied questionnaires from 2,818 respondents from 13 occupationsFindingsThe data only partially supported Hypothesis 1A. Results confirmed that it was negatively correlated with men, who had a 4.6% point lower probability of being interested in a management position than males in less diverse organizations. But there was no positive effect of gender diversity on women, in contradiction of expectations. Meanwhile, Hypothesis 1B was rejected.Originality/valueThe authors advise organizations to look for advice in studies of management recruitment strategies for solutions to these problems. As women represent the largest pool of available resources in public organizations, they say it would be wise to focus more energy on them.

Gender, Authority, and Control: Male Invective and the Restriction of Female Ambition in Early Modern Scotland and England, 1583–1616

Sixteenth-century discourse is filled with criticisms about the ambition of women and the proletariat. This article explores the connection between gender, ambition, authority, reputation, and the language of condemnation at the Jacobean court. It argues that the prevailing rhetoric vilifying female ambition reflects contemporaneous anxieties about female dominance and authority. In turn, male invective, libel, and slander, directed toward politically active elite women, represent men’s attempts to re-exert their authority over women perceived to be subverting established hierarchies of power. By tracing the use of invective in letters, court poetry, and moral essays, this paper reveals the ways in which abusive language was used to damage women’s reputations in order to establish and maintain male authority over women and other men in the court of James VI/I.

Factors Influencing Academic Aspiration of Females in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State

The study considered factors that influence educational aspirations of females in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State of Nigeria. Two purposes and two research questions were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey study design was used to carry out the study. The population of the study was all the married and unmarried adults resident in the rural part of the eighteen communities that make up Ezeagu Local Government Area, which stood at 169,718 by the 2006 population census. A structured questionnaire entitled “Educational Aspiration of Ezeagu Females” was designed and used to collect data from respondents. A randomized multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 700 respondents of both married and unmarried males and females in the Local Government Area. The 18 communities that make up the Local Government Area were grouped into four zones for easy sampling and data collection namely: Agu-obu, Akam-ezi, Obele-ofia, and Okpolo-agu. The instrument for data collection was a four-point likert scale of Strongly Agreed (SA) = 4 points, Agreed (A) = 3 points, Disagreed (D) = 2 points, Strongly Disagreed (SD) = 1 point. Items with mean score of 2.5 and above were accepted as agreeing with factors affecting educational aspirations of females in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, while items with mean score below 2.5 were not accepted (rejected). Results showed that most married women that did not acquire university education did not have interest in sending their female children to higher schools having accepted their own status as ideal. Results also showed that while most men acknowledged the complementary values of women with higher academic qualifications to their husbands, most other men see higher education ventures for females as deliberate waste of funds. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, which included that both the local, state and Federal Government should carry out adequate enlightenment campaign to sensitize both males and females of the inevitable need for higher education for females especially in a developing world as ours. It was also recommended that management of Ezeagu Local Government Area should liaise with Enugu State Government to provide financial empowerment to the poverty-stricken locals of the state with a view to motivating them to educate their females.

Challenges and Prospects of Achieving Two Third Gender Rule in Elective Seats of Members in Kiambu County Assembly, Kenya

The purpose of this study was: to investigate factors affecting the Two Third Gender Rule in Kiambu County Kenya; the effects of not achieving the Two Third Gender Rule and to suggest possible initiatives of addressing the Two Gender Rule in county elections. The target population was elected women and nominated Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and voters. Kiambu County has 60 MCAs and only four women were elected as MCAs and thus led to nomination of 27 women to achieve the Two Third Gender Rule in the first assembly. In the second assembly, only one woman was elected as MCA leading to nomination of 29 women as MCAs. The study found out that female aspirants had inadequate finances to meet their campaign needs and the rooted patriarchal culture which did not favor female candidates. The study recommends that women should be more assertive and that women voters need to support female aspirants. Female aspirants need to come out in large numbers to seek elective seats and prove that politics should not be male dominated. The study is useful to Government ministries and researchers.

Mapping Medical Aspirants Stress Levels Based on Student Versus Parent Led Career Choice- Special Reference to Kota

This study was conducted to find varying stress levels feel by medical aspirants if they choose to prepare under parental pressure vis-à-vis under their own will considering the amount of hard work and perseverance required to put in for medical entrance in India. Suicide cases and various studies on stress levels among aspiring students, coming from different parts of India to Kota, preparing for medical and engineering entrance examinations make Kota an appropriate and obvious choice for the study. Responses were tabulated using frequency distribution tables and results were derived applying t-test, factor analysis and ANOVA using SPSS version 19. The study concluded that students chose to prepare for medical entrance out of their own will and male medical aspirants feel more stress as compared to female aspirants. Mapping overall stress with the parental pressure have some discrepancies with the previous studies performed by researchers and research institutes which might have caused due to various limitations, one would be a time of the study. This might further be analysed and verify the results as with the change in the social matrix of the social things tend to vary.

English

Higher education for females is an indicator of development, democracy and gender equity, particularly necessary for a nation like Cameroon which attempts to become an emerging country by 2035. Hence, this paper is focused on ascertaining female aspirations to higher education for access and effective participation. In so doing, a study that employed a semi-structured questionnaire collected data from 977 female students about the level of schooling they aspired to attain, the underlying reasons for their choices and their prospected barriers. Simple percentages, chi-square analysis and logistic regression analysis showed that female student’ aspirations for higher education were high, challenging the roles of higher education institutions. However, these high aspirations were based on the expectations that higher education participation and completion would be beneficial to the overall development of females and their integration into the world of work. Nevertheless, these aspirations were also tempered by barriers, and to this effect it is recommended that higher education school curricula be reformed to suit the needs of these female aspirers. Equally, financial constraints could be curbed through scholarships and donations from ex-student associations and university systems. Irrespective of this, constant research in this area is necessary as aspirations are complex, dynamic and contextual.   Key words: Aspirations, higher education, females, barriers, access and effective participation.

Legislative representation and gender (bias)

ABSTRACTIn nearly all countries, women are underrepresented and men are overrepresented in national legislatures. This distortion in representation might occur for several reasons. One set of explanations suggests that parties, voters, or both, might discriminate against women. In this analysis we examine potential discrimination by parties and ask if elected officials discriminate against women who are thinking about a career in politics. Evaluating whether discrimination occurs is notoriously difficult with observational studies, so we conduct a field experiment to examine whether elected officials in New Zealand respond differently to potential political aspirants based on their perceived gender. Our results show that elected officials are equally willing to respond to both male and female political aspirants. These findings support the results from recent work conducted in other developed democracies and suggest that parties do not discriminate against female political aspirants at this stage of the recruitment process.

Gender and leadership stereotypes theory: is it reaching the boundaries?

PurposeThis paper aims to answer whether the notion of the gender and leadership stereotypes theory has already reached its boundaries.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish such a goal, it relies on the extant literature looking for more robust findings, problems, disruptions and pathways toward building a better understanding of this problematic.FindingsThe evidence gleaned throughout this paper suggests that the interplay between gender and leadership stereotypes theory has reached its boundaries. Moreover, the traditional sex stereotype or gender traits approach within companies seems to be highly limited taking into account that it tends to nurture rivalry and prejudice among people of different genders. Rather than focusing on leader sex approach or egalitarian quotas, in terms of leadership role and despite the fair argument of diversity, the author proposes that it is wiser to concentrate on a meritocratic view.Practical implicationsIt suggests that an androgyny leadership style appears to be welcomed in organizations, yet some shift about this understanding may be occurring. At present, however, female aspirants of leadership roles should work increasingly toward adapting themselves to this profile. In doing so, it is likely that they may be benefited from organizational evaluations in which the merit issue constitutes an imperative.Originality/valueOverall, it is expected to contribute to theory by arguing that the traditional understanding of gender and leadership stereotypes theory is not suitable anymore to deal with the uncertainties and complexities that shape today’s business arenas. On the contrary, it argues that such approach tends only to encourage gender bias and to nurture a somewhat sex war game in detriment of organizations efficiency and productivity.

Phantoms in the Classroom: Midwifery Training in Enlightenment Europe

Phantoms in the Classroom: Midwifery Training in Enlightenment Europe