BEHIND THE 30% TARGET: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR WOMEN'S ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP IN UZBEK UNIVERSITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21007289Keywords:
women’s leadership, higher education, Uzbekistan, gender equality, feminist institutionalism, academic governance, university leadership, Central AsiaAbstract
Ongoing reforms aimed at promoting gender equality and expanding women’s participation in leadership are
creating new opportunities within Uzbekistan’s higher education sector. This article develops a multi-level conceptual
framework for analysing the factors that support women’s advancement to academic leadership positions in universities.
Drawing on feminist institutionalism, role congruity theory, and the glass ceiling concept, the framework examines three
interconnected levels: macro (national policy and legal environment), meso (university governance structures and organisational
culture), and micro (individual career development and support systems). The study highlights the importance
of coordinated interactions between public policy initiatives, institutional practices, and professional development mechanisms
in strengthening women’s participation in academic governance. The proposed framework provides a methodological
foundation for future empirical research and contributes to the development of effective leadership strategies in higher
education institutions across Uzbekistan
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