Assessing Barriers to Female Leadership in Higher Education of Nepal

Abstract

This paper explores diverse obstacles female employees have been facing in higher education of Nepal. Despite high qualifications, and robust competence and confidence, women are generally deprived of holding leadership roles in colleges and universities of Nepal because of the traditional mindsets about the roles of men and women. The impact of cultural and societal structured discriminations reflects in the poor presence of female leaders in academia of Nepal. I employ the qualitative research design to structure the paper by using the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with women teachers of Tribhuvan University to gather the data for strengthening the ongoing argument. The paper has intended to investigate into the intricacies observed by women when seeking career development in their workplace. The major finding of the research has been the continuation of the traditional principles and mindsets guided by the Manusmriti that underrates women’s capacity and seeks women to hold on only subjugated positions in societal structures in higher education of Nepal even in the 21^st century. Although the constitution of Nepal 2015 ensures equal rights to all Nepalese citizens regardless of their gender, class, ethnicity, race and caste, the unequal distribution of leadership roles among the employees in colleges and universities in general and in Tribhuvan University in particular has marginalized women employees in respect of leadership. The implementation of the constitutional provisions regarding gender disparity in all aspects of Nepalese society is imperative.