Abstract
This chapter explores the barriers women experience regarding environmental leadership and potential solutions and prospects for boosting female participation. Women continue to be restricted to lower-status occupations, mainly in administrative fields, despite recent efforts to improve gender representation. Multiple reasons contribute to this inequality, including discriminatory practices, inadequate access to resources and opportunities, and societal expectations around gender roles. Efforts to remedy women's underrepresentation in leadership roles should employ various tactics. These can include enacting gender-diverse policies and practices, providing mentorship and support to women seeking progress, and creating opportunities for leadership development. Organisations prioritising diversity and inclusion can foster an inclusive climate that encourages women to take on roles in environmental leadership.
TopExplicit Barriers
Explicit barriers are one of the women's main challenges in environmental leadership. The explicit barriers include insufficient leadership pipeline management, focused leadership development opportunities for women, and a lack of gender diversity awareness among management (Hopkins et al., 2021; Smith & Sinkford, 2022).
Inadequate leadership pipeline management refers to more established processes and support systems for identifying, mentoring, and advancing women into leadership positions (Backonja et al., 2022; Hopkins et al., 2021; Hughes, 2022). It may result in a small pool of eligible women applicants for leadership positions. This obstacle can be overcome by adopting leadership development programmes specifically targeted at women to improve their skills and competencies. Organisations must prioritise diversity and inclusion activities, ensuring gender diversity awareness is integrated into organisational culture and practises.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Women's Empowerment: The progression through which women attain autonomy and agency, enabling them to exercise control over their lives. It involves acquiring the necessary resources and opportunities that enable women to make choices and shape their futures, as well as engaging fully and equitably in all sectors of society.
Sustainability: Defined as the capacity to fulfil present needs while safeguarding the ability of future generations to meet their requirements.
Gender Equality: This encompasses the fundamental principle of granting equal rights, opportunities, and treatment to individuals of all genders.
Women's Participation: This pertains to the active engagement of women in diverse social, political, and economic domains, encompassing their involvement in decision-making processes and assuming leadership positions.
Diversity and Inclusion: Defined as creating an inclusive environment that values all individuals, regardless of their characteristics, such as race, gender, or ethnicity. It promotes the appreciation and acceptance of diverse perspectives and experiences.
Empowerment: This is providing individuals with the necessary tools, opportunities, and self-assurance to take control over their own lives and make valuable contributions within their communities.
Environmental Leadership: The capacity of individuals or organizations to guide and motivate others to adopt sustainable practices and take actions that enhance environmental well-being.
Leadership Development: The enhancement of an individual's skills, knowledge, and qualities necessary for effective leadership is known as leadership development.