Assessing the Role of Gender-Inclusive Language in Promoting the Representation of Women in Leadership Roles within Higher Education Institutions in Kaduna State

Abstract

The persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership positions within higher education institutions remains a significant gender equity concern, particularly in regions with entrenched sociocultural norms. This study examines the role of genderinclusive language as a strategic tool for promoting the visibility and representation of women in leadership roles across higher education institutions in Kaduna State, Nigeria. This study examines the language and socio-cultural barriers that hinder women’s leadership prospects, with a focus on the impact of gendered language in institutional communications and leadership dynamics. A mixed-methods approach was employed, comprising content analysis of institutional documents (including job advertisements and promotional materials), semi-structured interviews with academic and administrative staff, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with religious and community leaders within the study area. Thirty participants were selected for the interview, and thirty participants partake in the FGDs who were selected through judgmental sampling. The data was analyzed using NVivo software for content analysis. The analysis revealed that the language employed in these official documents is consistently gender-neutral. Notably, no significant instances of masculine-coded terms or explicitly gendered phrases were identified, revealing this neutrality. This result indicates that formal institutional language is not a barrier to gender-inclusive leadership representation. It concludes that promoting gender-inclusive language is not merely a semantic issue but a crucial step toward advancing gender equity and empowering more women to assume leadership positions in the higher education sector. However, to further promote gender inclusivity, the study recommends ongoing monitoring of institutional communications and the implementation of measures to address subtler biases.