Abstract
Globally and in South Africa, women remain marginalised and underrepresented in positions of power, indicating insufficient strategies in addressing barriers limiting the representation of women despite discussions on gender equity. The institutional and societal hurdles that prohibit immigrant women from achieving positions of power receive insufficient attention. Especially with regard to the interlocking institutional, cultural and structural obstacles that prevent them from rising to positions of leadership. This study sought to investigate and analyse the major challenges faced by immigrant women leaders in leadership positions within Johannesburg Inner City Schools. These schools are predominantly privately owned institutions that emerged rapidly after the historic 1994 democratic transition. Johannesburg Inner City Schools continue to present a unique educational environment, as many remain under- resourced in terms of finances, infrastructure and staffing. The sudden growth of these schools brought significant teaching, management and administrative demands. As a result, many migrant women have been employed and promoted into various leadership positions, including grade leaders, heads of department, deputy principals and local subject facilitators. Although these women are often highly qualified and experienced educators, they have not been shielded from longstanding gendered and xenophobic forms of stigmatisation, denigration and prejudice that women in leadership frequently confront across sectors.
The study was driven by the need to examine immigrant women school leaders’ acquisition and use of power, which remains a challenge despite existing policies designed to curb discrimination and promote equality. Many of these women continue to suffer marginalisation, lack of recognition, underrepresentation and pressure to assimilate culturally. This study investigated the structural and intersecting impediments that lead to the underrepresentation of immigrant women in positions of power, guided by critical feminist theory and critical leadership views. Adapting a qualitative research design, a critical social constructivism approach, the research employs an interpretive phenomenology design, with data generated through semi- structured interviews and reflective journaling, and analysed thematically. Sixteen participants were purposefully selected for their direct engagement with thephenomenon. Data analysis followed the principles of interpretive phenomenological analysis, using seven systematic steps to identify major themes...