Introduction

Gender disparities in executive-level jobs continue to exist at Pakistan's higher education institutions (HEIs). According to Ali et al. (2022), the gender gap in leadership roles remains owing to the barriers and problems that women continue to face in contrast to males. Women are underrepresented in positions of responsibility in Pakistan's academic administration at the moment. This sort of image, according to Zaidi (2022), illustrates that not even a well-acclaimed democracy like Pakistan has achieved gender equality, particularly at the highest levels of governance. Despite the increased number of women in deanships and related posts, there has been no obvious shift in other kinds of upper-level administration (Covert, 2023). To demonstrate, Zaidi (2022) reports that just five of Pakistan's twenty-six universities have appointed Women vice-chancellors. A more thorough knowledge of the experiences of Women leaders in Pakistani higher education institutions may be gained by investigating the current conditions surrounding the limits and obstacles that these women face. Furthermore, stakeholders may get recommendations for improving the position of women in Pakistan's tertiary education system.

Pan et al. (2024) define leadership as contextual and situational. The growth of academic meritocracy is a big setback for women seeking leadership positions at colleges. Ashiq et al. (2021) and Halkio et al. (2023) found that women have unique leadership characteristics and skills. On the contrary, they encounter unique constraints that limit their potential to be effective. According to some scholars, more study is needed to understand what characteristics help or hinder women's chances of achieving leadership roles. Despite the fact that many studies are Western-centric, the popularity of this conversation about women in leadership roles fails to account for socioeconomic class disparities such as race and religion. This field of research has been impacted by Western hegemonic classification, construction, and theory. Western leadership techniques in emerging nations contribute to women's subordination by suppressing and marginalising them. As a result, including a broader range of opinions from developing nations would contribute to the rising discussion over women's participation in university management.

This research aims to address the reasons and implications of women's underrepresentation in leadership positions in Pakistani universities. This study is motivated by the drastic change that is occurring in many Pakistani institutions, with an increasing number of women assuming positions of essential leadership, such as department heads, deans, and vice-chancellors. Educational institutions' efforts to foster gender equity in upper-level administration are in the early stages. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan provides equal rights, and the chapter on Principles of Policy underlines the principle of equal rights and equal treatment to all citizens/ persons, without any distinction, including on the basis of sex, advocate for a gender-neutral selection process (Women Development Department, n.d.). Consequently, this study offers valuable findings about how women leaders' personal encounters shape the contexts in which they operate. This is a fresh method to gender studies, where patriarchy reigns supreme at work. Current approaches incorporate more inclusive and pluralistic leadership styles (Poe, 2023). As a result, the study's main purpose is to document the difficulties encountered by women pursuing leadership positions at certain colleges.

Literature Review

A wide range of impediments inhibit the advancement of women to head positions in academia. Some of these challenges include management styles, workplace dynamics, gender stereotypes, internal motivation, conflicts over lifestyle choices, and selection methods (Nabhan, 2021).

Process of Selection

The selection process is a frequent barrier to advancement in a corporate hierarchy. Organisations favour male candidates over women candidates for management roles, regardless of credentials, due to a preference for masculine characteristics (Baksh, 2024). Despite the government's persistent attempts to foster a climate conducive to fair recruiting standards, women continue to be underrepresented in university administration in Pakistan. Women are underrepresented in positions of control and influence within higher education (Wakjira & Ibrahim, 2024). There is a claim that the scarcity of qualified women for executive roles diminished participants the possibility of women being promoted to those positions. Another research finds that, while universities have a large number of skilled women, their presence in leadership roles is insufficient. Consider Pakistan, where the percentage of Women university students reaches 50%. Despite the fact that women account for a larger share of college students, more women representation in positions of responsibility does not follow from this imbalance. Nabukeera (2018) found that a significant number of talented women are overlooked for positions of power in academic institutions. An alternate hypothesis is that because males make up the vast majority of university leadership roles, they are more inclined to promote other guys with comparable traits (Mabaso, 2023).

Organisational Culture

The organisational culture is another barrier to women's promotion to senior positions in Pakistani organisations. According to Burmicky (2024), the problems that Women administrators encounter are typically deeply embedded in organisational culture. Males' perceptions of the attributes that characterise a good manager have a significant impact on the cultures of many businesses. According to Riaz (2020), the prevalence of males in positions of power and influence at universities explains why campus culture favours male norms. As a result, cultural norms serve as structural hurdles inside organisations, hindering women's rise to executive leadership positions in academic institutions. Traditional patriarchal dynamics dominate most social and occupational relationships in Pakistan (Nichols, 2023). Furthermore, rivalries among co-workers impede women from ascending to managerial roles at institutions. These connections may exist among Women co-workers, bosses, or mentors.

According to Macfarlane et al. (2024), the majority of employees form close-knit organisations based on similar interests. Because males have traditionally controlled university administration, it is difficult for women to locate a female mentor who can help them prepare for a leadership role within an institution. Many people find it advantageous to have mentors of the same gender because they can understand the specific issues that women and girls confront. Similarly, men and women have different expectations of mentors (Cheatham, 2023). Male mentors, on the other hand, are less likely to mentor women due to preconceived views that connect women with lower problem-solving abilities, heightened susceptibility to emotional manipulation, and higher vulnerability to workplace sexual harassment (Bigirimana & Masanga, 2024).

Managerial Styles Based on Genders

Gender-based management style disparities limit women's advancement to prominent management roles in universities and other organisations. In line with previous research into the glass ceiling and its impact on organisations' efforts to advance women's capabilities, Shoukat et al. (2024) discovered that 96% of Women managers believe that adopting a male management style facilitates women's advancement to senior management roles. As a result, women will be less likely to seek leadership posts. Women are typically required to adapt to male-dominated cultures and management methods (Kleinschafer et al., 2023). Women are not picked for or granted positions of power as a result of their failure to conform to the biased and macho management style.

Despite the distinct contributions that women bring to the table, male-dominated management methods continue to result in a disproportionate representation of women in higher education leadership roles (Ali et al., 2022; Constantinou, 2024; Nabukeera, 2018). For example, in universities dominated by men, management is usually dictatorial and politically ineffective. That portion of the organisation where the VC has major sway over hiring and firing decisions. The understanding that their opportunities for growth are limited contributes to women's lack of drive. One element contributing to women's reluctance to take up leadership roles is a lack of intrinsic desire. Many women lose their intrinsic passion to succeed when pursuing leadership roles due to multiple challenges. Horton et al. (2023) found a variety of barriers, including parental duties, a lack of opportunities, prejudice, and discrimination.

Work-Family Balance

Lifestyle conflicts have also been linked to women's underrepresentation in high-management roles. This challenge, often known as work-family conflict, is exacerbated by women's conflicting work and family duties (Kleinschafer et al., 2023). According to several studies, after getting a promotion, women usually prioritise their families above their jobs when faced with the increased importance of professional commitments and time restrictions. While flexibility is commonly acknowledged as a key aspect of good management, Ndungu et al.(2024)observed that work-family or lifestyle conflicts had a negative impact on women's flexibility.

Gender stereotypes

Gender biases make it difficult for women to advance in managerial roles. Gender stereotypes are the source of normative conceptions about men's and women's anticipated societal roles (Halkiyo et al., 2023). According to (Wakjira & Ibrahim, 2024), these views may have stemmed from the gendered societal division of employment. Gender stereotypes are cognitive frameworks that systematically undermine women's worth in a variety of contexts (Garvis & Black, 2018). Gender stereotypes in society have led to the evolution of normative ideas about the unique duties of men and women (Amin et al., 2021). These normative dogmas evolved, maybe as a result of the societal division of work along sexual lines. Patriarchal customs, which affected many countries, are commonly used as the foundation for workplace gender discrimination. Similar to past epochs, modern and industrial civilization has resulted in changes in social roles and individual experiences (Ndulaka, 2022).

Mentors

The paucity of example persons to imitate is one barrier that women pursuing leadership roles in higher education administration face. (Mabaso, 2023) discovered that males in authoritative positions in the academic environment are hesitant to give female colleagues mentorship chances. The need to prepare women for leadership roles in upper management emphasises the importance of mentoring efforts for women. (Blumenau, 2021) lists a number of organisational, social, and psychological variables that contribute to women's underrepresentation in senior management roles at universities. As a result, women require proper mentorship to boost their goals, self-assurance, and confidence, driving them to advance to the most senior management positions (Epperson et al., 2020).

Advancements in the Representation of Women

Despite the enactment of numerous laws and executive orders, a dire dearth of Women's representation in positions of authority persists. Scholars and policymakers have engaged in deliberations regarding potential remedies that could aid women in surmounting the aforementioned obstacles (Gandhi & Sen, 2021). This may demonstrate that laws and regulations are insufficient to close the current gender disparity in influential and powerful positions. Capacity-building initiatives that highlight leadership development are one of the most efficacious methods, according to Ahmed et al. (2023), of assisting women in their early academic years and preparing them for executive-level positions. The academic literature is replete with case studies of nations that effectively executed capacity-building initiatives to promote the progress of women in academia.

An illustration can be found in the developmental initiatives undertaken by the University Grants Commission in India, which seek to enable women to assume leadership roles within the realm of higher education. By participating in leadership development programs administered by the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) and the Inclusive Excellence Group of the Office of Women in Higher Education, American women in administrative and instructional roles can enhance their professional growth (Zamakda Allison, 2021). Pakistan, through its New Generation of Academics Programme, provides recently graduated scholars with the necessary resources to excel and assist in their placement in permanent positions at universities (Vogel & Alhudithi, 2023).

Women in leadership positions must face several hurdles. One of these variables is the underrepresentation of women in executive roles; research is expected to help address and mitigate this problem (Chance, 2022). With a well-defined research goal, gender statistics in leadership positions in Pakistani higher education may be explored more closely. Furthermore, establishing a measure for monitoring and assessing trends related to the number of women in leadership positions would be extremely advantageous.

According to (Islam et al., 2023), research makes it easier to identify "hidden" barriers to women's promotion to the highest levels of management. Researchers can perform systematic examinations into the elements that enable or impede women's involvement in top administrative posts at institutions. This would enable the creation of a framework based on both theory and empirical evidence (Nindie, 2022).

Methodology

This study used a phenomenological technique since it focused mostly on the first-hand experiences of Women deans. Using a qualitative study technique, the barriers faced by women seeking leadership positions in Pakistan's higher education sector were studied. To obtain insight into the individuals' lived experiences, the researcher used a phenomenological study approach. An interview was held with six Women faculty deans to discuss the hurdles they experienced when taking on leadership roles. This study's data was acquired using organised interviews, which were then analysed thematically. The study's eligible participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach. The participants were Women deans of universities in Lahore who had served for at least five years.

The study was conducted at three universities in Punjab province, Pakistan. Males dominated positions of leadership and administration at all three universities polled. Every participant was asked to reply to questions in a setting that matched their comfort level.

The research methodologies used in this phenomenological case study were in-person interviews and direct participant observation. Phenomenology is a way to study people's seemingly everyday actions. It is used in scientific research to assess subjective judgments of a subject or phenomenon as experienced by an individual or group of people. Phenomenological scholars are interested in perceptual phenomena (Creswell et al., 2007). The phenomenological research technique was chosen because it enables respondents to dive deeper into the substance of their experiences due to its flexibility (Duffy & Chenail, 2009). Phenomenological research, known for soliciting participant perspectives, was chosen for this study because of its dedication to disclosing the realities faced by women in administrative positions at Pakistani universities in terms of the glass ceiling.

Researchers used a hybrid technique to conduct this research, combining convenience and deliberate sampling methodologies (Moeller et al., 2021). Deans of colleges and universities from Pakistan's Lahore Province took part. Deans were chosen as the researchers' main topic because they represent the pinnacle of administrative advancement for women. After that, it became increasingly difficult to locate women in positions higher than dean. All participants were required to be women and have at least five years of experience as faculty deans.

Data was collected between June and September of 2023. The interview procedure was planned to run no more than an hour for each participant. The participants were asked to share their experiences with the problems they faced when pursuing leadership roles, as well as any potential solutions they may give to these concerns. Furthermore, the interview focused on the deans' actual experiences, particularly their leadership responsibilities and how they were directed or guided in a mostly male workplace. The interviews included topics outside academia, such as the respondents' personal experiences and the treatment they get in professional settings. Data was processed by transcribing the interviews conducted with the participants through electronic devices.

Ensuring participant confidentiality was critical in order to follow established participant field standards. The use of aliases rather than true identities enabled this occurrence. As a result, the researchers can be confident that the identities of all participants stayed hidden. In addition, the researchers investigated participants' privacy concerns, informed consent, and voluntary participation decisions.

Findings

To enhance interpretation, thematic analysis was used after collecting data through in-depth interviews. Creswell (2007) describes thematic analysis requires explicit coding. To clarify the links between the study objectives and the conclusions, the unprocessed data were reduced into concise data forms. The data was examined using the following six steps:

(1) Becoming acquainted with the data by reading it again and transcribing it; (2) Creating codes or developing systematic coding characteristics in order to address the research questions and find connections; finding themes and gathering relevant codes from the text; (3) Performing a suitability evaluation of the topics and creating a thematic map; (4) Concluding the work by choosing pertinent extracts from the themes and developing connections.

The findings show that women seeking leadership roles in Pakistan's higher education sector face several difficulties. Six faculty deans from Lahore Province actively participated in this study, offering their practical expertise to help identify these determinants. According to participant data, the following are some of the challenges that women in Pakistani universities face on their route to leadership posts.

Challenges Faced by Women Deans

Process of Selection: Three of the six women criticised the dean's process of selection, claiming it was biased against them. This is demonstrated by Participant A's comments, in which the participant admits to having faced problems. “Males make up the bulk of administrative professionals at colleges and universities, which impacts my hiring decisions. Obtaining this post was a huge task. After years of unsuccessful applications, I was appointed as faculty dean.”

Participant D's critique of the selection methods is echoed by her assessment that it has a bias towards men, who appear to have successful outcomes. Simply put, the participant meant that regardless of the cost, men will always find a way to get what they want.

"The bulk of powerful figures in academia are men, and there appears to be a widespread expectation that activities follow a precise pattern in order to conform. I do not relate to the stereotypical male figures and characteristics connected with leadership selection and qualification as a woman." The findings above are consistent with previous research, which shows that selection methods conceptualised primarily by men usually disfavour women.

Work-Life Balance: One additional challenge: managing both work and personal duties, was also mentioned by the participants. As participant A stated in her response, handling both professional and family duties is a big hurdle that may hamper growth into a senior management position.

Even Participant E admitted that the participant faced difficulties. The participant emphasised that in order to be a leader, you must be available outside of work hours, “Engaging in this activity will make people believe you are more devoted to your professional responsibilities. Work, parenting, marriage, and daughterhood all interfere with this.”

Women in leadership positions frequently experience work-life conflict. This issue arises when women, particularly in Pakistani settings, face the tough dilemma of balancing employment and household duties (Zamakda Allison, 2021). This is supported by the remarks of three participants who admitted challenges in balancing professional and personal life.

Women in leadership positions frequently experience work-life conflict. In many Pakistani situations, women are expected to balance career and household duties, resulting in tension between the two (Alrowwad et al., 2020). This is corroborated by the perspectives of two women who admitted to having trouble reconciling their duties as deans and husbands. Participant C, as an unmarried woman, had more control over her time management than the women the participant had watched struggle to juggle job and home responsibilities. In addition, Participant B reported directly to a female deputy chancellor, whereas Faith and Sihle both reported to male deputy chancellors. Participant B, unlike the other two women, may have been able to create a good professional connection with her Women boss without prejudices based on gender and authority.

Participant A believes that balancing personal and professional duties concurrently is one of the most significant impediments to advancement in management, “Maintaining a work-life balance has proven to be a difficult task for me. Unexpected meetings jeopardise my family's efforts, as I am also responsible for teaching my children the importance of family values.”