Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Nepal has successfully expanded women’s access to education, but education alone has not removed the institutional and cultural barriers that prevent women from reaching decision-making positions. As Nepal’s universities hold elections for Free Student Union (FSU), the process serves as both a demonstration to democratic practice and a clear reminder of deep-rooted gender inequalities. Election was held in many constituent and community-based campuses; a larger issue remains unaddressed - the shameful underrepresentation of women in student leadership roles.

A closer audit of FSU candidates discloses a disagreeable pattern: women are largely squeeze to proportionate representation quotas, with their presence in the race for chairperson across major campuses being minimal. Generally, an implicit structural bias is evident, as student political wings informally allocate one of the two (Secretariat, Treasurer) top positions to women while reserving the chairperson post for male candidates. This practice underscores a broader societal issue, the persistent gender inequality. Even though women occupy only about 27 percent of parliamentary seats worldwide, with a mere 23 percent holding ministerial positions and less than 10 percent serving as heads of state. Alarmingly, only six out of 193 United Nations member nations have achieved gender parity in parliamentary representation. It might take another 130 years for the gender parity as reported by the Global Gender Gap Report 2023, which highlights the slow pace of progress. Universities, as creators of future leadership, must set an example by fostering an inclusive political culture where gender should not be the determinants of   leadership opportunities. A truly democratic student election should encourage equal participation and ensure that all candidates, irrespective of gender, have a fair chance at leadership. An academic institution is a place from where the journey of an equitable society must begin.

Political Parties and Structural Barriers

The leadership structures of major political parties and their student wings remain male -dominated. Even where women hold positions in higher status of political parties, their influence in critical decision-making processes along with the intervention is limited. Their representation often turn-out to be a ‘tokenistic’ effort for claiming gender inclusivity rather than a genuine authorization strategy. To counter this, political parties along its different wings must conduct gender audits across their organizational structures, ensuring meaningful participation and authority for women.

Reflecting on Nepal’s 2079 elections, gender disparity in leadership is visible. In the federal parliament elections, women counted for less than 10 percent in direct election candidates, while provincial assemblies saw less than 12 percent women candidates. Among the total 2,412 candidates, only 225 were women, and just nine secured victories through direct elections reflecting less than six percent of the total constituencies. The data highlights the dependence on proportionate representation to meet the constitutional mandate of 33 percent female participation, rather than encouraging direct electoral competition for women. For the development of capability, the political institution should formulate different programs to nurture women’s leadership potential beyond proportional quotas.

Women’s Leadership Capabilities: Breaking the Stereotypes

Different research papers support the effectiveness of women in governance, despite the resistance to women leadership. A report by Women Political Leaders and the Oliver Wyman Forum suggests that countries led by women perform 10 percentage points higher in the Women, Business, and the Law (WBL) score compared to those led by men. Further, there exists a faster tempo to eliminate legal inequalities in a nation with higher women representation at the executive level.

The unwillingness to endorse women for top positions originate from systemic discrimination, resistance to change, and an established "old boys' club" mentality. Despite significant progress in education and workforce participation, few women ascend to the highest levels of political or corporate leadership. Being the role model in the society, political institutions must ensure that women have equal opportunities to contest direct elections rather than relying solely on proportionate representation.

Do Women Possess Leadership Traits?

A study by the Pew Research Center in the United States sheds light on public perceptions of leadership qualities. On seven of eight leadership traits measured, women were rated either equal to or better than men. For instance, 50 percent of respondents found women more honest than men, compared to only 20 percent favoring men in this regard. Honesty was ranked as the most important leadership trait in the survey.

Ironically, while the public acknowledges gender discrimination and resistance to change as barriers to women’s political advancement, they simultaneously recognize women’s superior or equal leadership capabilities. Moreover, a separate survey by a similar organization exploring hidden gender biases in congressional elections found no evidence of voter preconception against women candidates. Which suggests that there exist systemic barriers to women’s leadership rather than a result of public perception.

The Way Forward

Nepal’s political institutions along with its student wings must recognize the urgency of addressing gender disparities in leadership. Universities should take proactive measures through the discussion and discourses to ensure that women are not sidelined to quota-based representation but are encouraged to compete in direct elections. The decision-making authority must transfer to women by political institutions going beyond symbolic representation and genuinely empowering women leadership.

As Nepal intends to build a more equitable society, fostering gender-inclusive leadership, universities provide  the ideal platform from which the glass ceiling must be broken. The democratic values upheld in student union elections must reflect inclusivity and fairness. The change we seek in society must first take root in our universities.