Abstract:
The main objective of this study was to examine ‘’ practices and challenges of female teachers’
participation in school leadership in secondary Schools of Buno Bedele Zone.’’ In order to
understand the participation of female teachers qualitative data was generated through purposively
selected. Data were collected from five women teachers, four women school principals and three
woreda education office heads at selected government secondary schools and three women
affairs heads of the selected woredas. Three selected district of Education Office heads, and
three Women, Youth and Children Affairs office holders were purposefully sampled . The data
obtained through interview, informal conversation and focus group discussion were analyzed
qualitatively using conceptualization, coding, categorizing and themes. The major finding indicated
that lack of roll model, lack of motivation, work load, family responsibility, negative attitude of
female teachers‘ and educational institutions do not have transparent selection criteria were
found great impact on females‟ participation of school leadership. Lacks of confidence because
of the social back ground in the culture of the community in general, females are not leaders;
they are followers rather. As a result of lack of confidence, they are not aspired to become
leaders. In addition, females do not have opportunities to gain bottom experiences in educational
leadership that would help them for further advancement because the school leadership was men
dominated in tradition. The study concluded that there is a gap in creating awareness in
implementation of policies, rules and regulations in people’s attitude towards women’s
secondary school principal ship. This calls for an ambitious interventions on gender disparity in
leadership such us engendering leadership through motivating, empowering and involving
women in decision making systematically to narrow down the persisting gap as women hold up
half the sky.
