Comments on appearance and inappropriate language
Comments on size do not only occur in relation to the school, but extend to personal
appearance. Women experience this in the interview process, but colleagues also
make comments on women's and men's size and appearance in relation to their
responsibilities, i.e. women are regarded as inferior to be leaders, tall athletic men
fitted to cope. A woman secondary head in her early 40s commented on the:
'surprise at a 'small woman' being a headteacher. Feeling of being looked down on.'
Sexual innuendo, patronising remarks and use of language and even bullying are
evidenced by some of the women in comments about peers and colleagues. 'Using
“love”, “duck” and “darling”' , (woman secondary head late 40s). Another in her early
50s had experienced: 'male line managers referring to me and other female senior
staff as “love”, “dear” and making comments about appearance of women, but never
male colleagues'. Women secondary heads also gave the examples of being:
'deputy head to an extremely sexist male headteacher who frequently made personal
comments' and 'bullying male teachers who think that if they shout at me, as a
woman, I will back off'.
Male experience of sexism
A few comments from men about sexism also related to their being stereotyped by
women and also that in some circumstances women were favoured. One man
primary head in his 50s did comment on 'feminist oppression' but this was an isolated
instance. Comments were more in relation to the perceived superiority of women at
certain tasks. Both of the following comments were from male secondary heads in
their 40s:
Some female colleagues state that they can multi-task better than their male
colleagues'.
Only very rarely, assumptions that, as a male, I would not be as caring etc.
Having to prove your worth as a man/woman in a leadership role
It is often presumed that the leader will be male so it is not surprising that a large
proportion of women, particularly in the secondary sector think that they, at some
time, have had to prove their worth as a woman leader. In fact 70 per cent of
secondary women, ten per cent more than in the 1990s state this. Perhaps the
increase has something to do with a perceived 'masculine' template of leadership
concerned with the achievement of targets, league tables and being an
entrepreneurial head. Expectations of leadership in education are high. Women
may feel that they have to 'prove' they can do everything.
For both men and women, there are issues relating to the current situation of
inspection and its outcomes that were not so important, or did not exist in relation to
'proving your worth' in the 1990s. These issues affect men and women, but do seem
to engender a particular feeling of vulnerability in women.
Leading a school from Special Measures. Governors had made it clear that
they wanted a male head. Male governors I feel do put this kind of pressure
on women (woman primary head late 40s).
First school to go into special measures, hence had to be a man who got it
out - the LEA appointed me! (woman primary head, late 50s)
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