Women’s leadership in the grip of patriarchal obstacles and gender inequality: the struggle for women’s empowerment in educational administration in Türkiye

This research explores how Turkish female school principals negotiate, resist and navigate patriarchal barriers in leadership. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with 11 female principals in Eskisehir province in the 2024-2025 school year. Content analysis revealed recurring themes and power relations in participants' stories. Findings revealed that patriarchal norms, gendered leadership expectations and corporate cultures favoring masculinized leadership limit women's leadership potential. Participants experienced challenges around legitimacy, recognition, professionalism and leadership-gender role balance. They employed strategic negotiation, relational leadership, professional resilience, and the creation of competence and legitimacy. These insights suggest that institutional and cultural reproduction of gendered power structures explains women's underrepresentation and marginalization in leadership. The paper concludes that gender-equitable leadership cultures require personal support for female principals and institutional practices that challenge patriarchal exclusion. Studying male administrators' gender views, allyship practices and roles in perpetuating or dismantling gendered relationships may inform more inclusive school cultures.