Executive Summary

This policy brief addresses the significant underrepresentation of women in school
leadership roles in Indonesia, aiming to highlight and propose solutions for the gender
gap in educational leadership.

• Women constitute 68% of teachers but only 44% of school leaders, with this disparity
  increasing at higher education levels.
• Female teachers show a lower conversion rate from leadership training to principal
  appointments (3.7%) than their male counterparts (5.15%).
• Existing regulatory frameworks, while not explicitly discriminatory, create an uneven
  playing field.
• Recommendations include actions for the:

1. Central government: integrating gender-responsive training into leadership
   programs; revising regulations to eliminate gender bias in leadership selection
   processes; ensuring equitable recruitment mechanisms for madrasah leadership;
   expanding grassroots gender equality initiatives; incorporating gender equality
   metrics into national education standards; and conducting monitoring and
   evaluation thoroughly by collecting gender-disaggregated data and conducting
   longitudinal studies to track progress.
2. Sub-national governments: introducing incentive schemes (e.g., childcare
   allowances, flexible work) and implementing transparent selection processes.
3. Community-based organizations & development partners: advocating for gender
   equity, promoting work-life balance policies, and collaborating on data collection
   to track progress.