Factors influencing women teachers underrepresentation in principalship positions of Dutywa senior secondary schools in Eastern Cape

First of all, South Africa‟s struggle against racial discrimination has received international exposure but the focus now is on gender disenfranchisement which is, however, eclipsed by the struggle for racial redress. In the current climate of redress, post Apartheid South Africa has pledged an unequivocal commitment to the promotion of a unitary, non-sexist, non-racist South Africa in all facets of life. Several enabling national policies have been legislated to promote equity and access to those previously excluded by virtue of race and gender, particularly in assuming leadership roles in key public domains. The catalyst for this study is encapsulated from historical trajectories of women lives, in apparent intractable patriarchal higher echelons, monolithic patriarchal South African school organizations and visible paucity of women in principalship positions of Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) in Dutywa Education District. Significantly, this study actually refers to causality factors of gender imbalance in work places as a provocative factor leading to constant marginalization of women in leadership positions irrespective of sound and clear government policies. This is a principal subject of concern that has grounded this present researcher to undertake this study. Views and ideas applicable in addressing this phenomenon were invited from women teachers of Dutywa Education District and most crucially about the scarcity of women teachers in principalship positions of this District. Questionnaires were distributed to research sites of three sub-districts of concern. The population had been sampled from women teachers of Dutywa Education District, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Quantitative results show that organisational factors, culture, women‟s personalities and colonial legacies are obstacles challenging the effectiveness of females in school administration. Specifically, teachers' negative attitudes towards being a female, particularly female principal in schools are cited as the major impediments to women principals of high schools. The study implores governments to continue appointing more women to school leadership positions despite the identified challenges