This paper stems from the doctoral research project Women Leaders in TVET in Ecuador: PLN as a Strategy to Promote Gender Equity. The study arises from the need to investigate the presence and experiences of women in decision-making positions within education, an area where significant barriers to access persist.

The barriers women face in accessing leadership roles are related, among other factors, to the social construction of female identity, particularly gender roles and stereotypes. There is still a belief that it is unnatural for women to occupy leadership positions, whereas men are seen as naturally suited for such roles. Therefore, this qualitative study explores how the identity of women in leadership positions is constructed, from the perspective of the women who hold these roles, as well as to identify the challenges they face in accessing such positions.

To conduct this study, 13 interviews were conducted with female educational leaders from 10 TVET institutions located in the cities of Quito and Cuenca, Ecuador. The interviews lasted an average of 40 minutes, and participation was voluntary. The interview protocol focused on three topics: 1. Representations of leadership styles among men and women; 2. Perceptions of women in leadership positions about their experience; 3. Access to leadership roles and the professional pathways available to women.
Through thematic analysis, one of the central findings was the limited visibility of how sexism operates in the construction of women's leadership. This issue was addressed through three subthemes:
First, from the participants’ perspective, leadership is viewed as a male domain. According to the interviewees’ narratives, it is still commonly believed that men are more naturally equipped for leadership, as they are perceived to be more efficient and less prone to conflict when making decisions. Second, women leaders are perceived as leading through sensitivity and attentive listening. In this sense, women are not seen as efficient because they tend to prioritize the needs of others in their community, which makes their decision-making process more detailed and deliberate. Thirdly, women in leadership roles feel they must “masculinize” themselves to be recognized as authoritative figures. This means, according to the interviewees, adopting more hierarchical stances within their institutions, abandoning dialogue as a leadership mechanism, and learning to "say no."

These findings suggest a lack of clarity regarding how sexism functions as a barrier to leadership. Although women leaders recognize differences in how male and female identities are constructed—and acknowledge that women are often perceived as lacking the necessary traits for leadership—they do not necessarily view this perception as a limitation to their professional development. In other words, the idea of men as natural authorities and women as subordinates remains largely normalized.

This dynamic, identified within TVET institutions in Ecuador, has also been observed in other studies across the Global South, where inequitable conditions for women are often rendered invisible by both men and women within educational institutions.

From a feminist perspective, this study seeks to foster social transformation by broadening the scope of leadership studies, not only to advance new directions in educational research but also to promote the development of new practices.

Keywords: Educational leadership, women leaders, gender, TVET.