The Challenges Faced by Female Primary School Heads: The Zimbabwean Experience

While the affirmative action policy of females has been hailed as a milestone in their emancipation, few insights exist as regards women’s challenges in leadership. Current research shows that female primary school heads face unique challenges in their substantive positions. A sample of nineteen female primary school heads in the Masvingo province of Zimbabwe responded to a questaview seeking their perceptions of their work related challenges. This study was part of a larger study on females and school leadership. Data was subjected to discourse analysis. Results showed that organisational factors, culture, women’s personalities and colonial legacies are obstacles challenging the effectiveness of females in school administration. Specifically, shortage of financial and material resources and teachers ' negative attitudes towards female primary school heads were cited as the major impediments to effective school administration. The study implores governments to continue appointing more women to school leadership positions despite the identified challenges. Further results are discussed and implications for educational practice, management and administration highlighted