Factors Influencing Women’s Representation in Leadership Positions: In Case of Ensaro Woreda Public Service Sectors, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The issue of women on management position is gaining attention globally. Governments signed major human right treaties including the most important women’s conventions to improve women’s participation in management positions. Even though the government’s effort to provide equal opportunities for women and design non-discriminatory policies, the existences of glass ceiling practices undermine their progress. The objective of the study was examining factors influencing women representation in leadership positions in Ensaro woreda public sectors. To achieve the objective of the study 203 representative samples have taken trough proportionate stratified sampling method. And a series of statistical analysis have done. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the existing situation of women’s representation of leadership in the public sectors, whereas, inferential statistics were used to investigate the association of women’s representation with the set of predictor variables. Binary  logistic regression result shows that cultural belief and attitude, insufficient capacity building, lack of professional training, inflexible working hours, inadequate experience, family commitments, inadequate job knowledge,  inadequate academic qualification, lack of motivation and interests, limited access of advanced education and  overall organizational culture have a significant effect on the under representation of women’s leadership in public sectors. The study finding revealed that organizational and personal factors seem to have major contributors as compared to societal factors that hindered women representation in leadership position in public sectors. Finally, it is recommended that; awareness creation and counselling service should have given about gender equality, public sectors should be committed to encouraging women’s to have a leadership positions, capacity building and special training should be given for women to increase the number of women leaders.

Keywords: Participation of women in leadership, societal factor, organizational factor, personal factor, Ensaro woreda public sectors.

DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/60-02

Publication date:June 30^th 2020