Despite the higher number of female teachers at the lower levels, leadership positions remain largely occupied by men /AI ILLUSTRATION
Female teachers have been encouraged to pursue leadership positions in schools and take a more active role in institutional decision-making.
Findings from a new study show that while women teach across all levels of education and dominate the teaching workforce in primary schools, the balance shifts in favour of men higher up the learning ladder and leadership hierarchy.
The second gender equality in and through education status report by Usawa Agenda shows that women remain underrepresented in the leadership of senior schools, except in girls’ schools where they account for 84 per cent of school heads.
“The teaching profession becomes more male-dominated as one goes up the levels, moving from 58 per cent female in primary, 51 per cent female in junior school to 43 per cent female in senior school,” the report, compiled following a survey conducted in June and July 2025 across all 47 counties, states.
This means 58 of every 100 primary school teachers are women, compared to 51 out of 100 in junior schools and 43 out of 100 in senior schools.
Despite the higher number of female teachers at the lower levels, leadership positions remain largely occupied by men.
At the primary school level, only 33 out of 100 female teachers are head teachers, while women account for just 14 and 18 out of 100 chairpersons of primary and junior school Boards of Management respectively.
At the senior school level, only three out of 10 school heads and 13 out of 100 Boards of Management chairpersons are women.
“Even in girls’ schools, only 31 out of 100 Boards of Management chairpersons are women,” the report notes.
The report calls for reflection on whether commitments to gender equality are translating into measurable progress towards gender parity in working environments.
Speaking during the release of the report at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on Tuesday, head of the Directorate of Primary Education at the Ministry of Education Stephen Barongo encouraged female educators to seek leadership positions in their institutions.
He said there appears to be a misplaced notion among some women that leadership is a role reserved for men.
“One time while serving as a District Education Officer, I would nominate women to leadership roles and they would decline, saying this is not for us. I think our women can do even better, so let us encourage them to take up those leadership positions,” he said.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers welcomed the survey, saying the union heavily relies on data to formulate internal policies and shape its engagements with the national government.
“Especially when we talk about our negotiation for employment of our teachers, promotion to administration of female teachers and collaboration with our partners,” said Alice Tuei, executive officer coordinating Knut’s Gender Desk.
She said women have been entrusted with leadership roles across the union’s 110 branches and are represented in public schools, demonstrating confidence in their ability to make sound policy decisions.
However, she noted that out of the 1,789 female teachers in leadership structures within the union, only 515 hold senior leadership positions.
“So, we still have a problem and when we come to that, we ask ourselves how many female teachers are there against the males? We have the capacity to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality,” she said.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Affirmative Action, Anne Wang'ombe, in remarks read on her behalf by Josephine Obonyo, said the report should not be treated as a ceremonial case study but as a policy guide towards achieving gender parity in learning and working environments.
She said all stakeholders have a collective responsibility to ensure the report’s recommendations become part of national conversations and translate into measurable outcomes that support girls and women in the education sector.
