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The under-representation of women in senior leadership roles in higher education remains a persistent and critical challenge in Egypt. While progress has been made in increasing female participation in academia, systemic barriers continue to hinder women from advancing to executive leadership positions within universities.
These challenges stem from deeply entrenched institutional norms, cultural expectations, and structural inequalities that disproportionately affect female academics. Addressing these issues requires targeted interventions, policy reforms, and sustained support networks to foster gender equity in leadership.
In response to these challenges, a series of collaborative projects has been developed, aiming to empower female academics, enhance professional development opportunities, and advocate for structural reforms within Egyptian universities.
These initiatives recognise that fostering gender equity is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity for higher education institutions seeking to harness the full potential of their academic communities.
Building on the success of TAMKEEN, a project that mentored female academics to help them obtain Advanced HE Fellowships – and which was recently recognised as one of only two success stories among 70 gender equality projects funded by the British Council worldwide – the TASHBEEK initiative was launched to further empower female academics in Egypt by fostering professional networks and collaboration.
Jointly led by Coventry University’s Research Centre for Global Learning and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), and funded by the British Council’s Gender Equality Partnerships, TASHBEEK has made significant progress in tackling gender disparities in academic leadership.
As a natural progression of this work, a newly approved initiative, TASHREE, aims to advocate for legislative reforms that will institutionalise gender equity in university executive leadership. By addressing systemic barriers at a policy level, TASHREE aspires to create lasting change that ensures greater female representation in senior decision-making roles within Egyptian universities.
Networks for change
The TASHBEEK initiative, which translates as “networking” in Arabic, was designed as a strategic continuation of TAMKEEN (which means “empowerment”) to sustain and build upon its achievements. While TAMKEEN focused on mentorship and capacity-building, TASHBEEK expanded its scope to develop structured support networks, promote collaborative advocacy, and drive institutional change.
The initiative had four key objectives:
- Highlighting the challenges of under-representation of women in senior leadership roles in Egyptian universities and identifying systemic barriers that hinder their progress.
- Recognising academic networks as essential tools for professional development, career advancement, and leadership growth among female academics.
- Developing a structured network for female academic leaders, fostering mentorship, and strengthening professional relationships to support career progression.
- Advocating for policy change and government support to institutionalise gender equity initiatives and encourage long-term systemic reforms.
Since its launch in January 2024, TASHBEEK has actively engaged stakeholders across the Egyptian higher education landscape. Through a series of events, workshops, interviews, and networking initiatives, the project has provided valuable insights into the challenges female academics face and the strategies required to overcome them.
One of the key activities within TASHBEEK has been a comprehensive mapping of Egypt’s higher education institutions. This effort catalogued state, private, and international universities to identify current female academic leaders and analyse representation trends.
This database is being used to facilitate individual interviews and focus group discussions with female university presidents, vice-presidents, deans, and senior academics, ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping future policies.
Between March and July 2024, TASHBEEK conducted a series of awareness sessions across Egypt, engaging over 970 participants – of whom approximately 75% were women. These sessions aimed to:
- Raise awareness about the systemic barriers women face in academia, such as gender bias, institutional obstacles, and cultural challenges.
- Provide mentorship and leadership development opportunities, connecting junior female academics with senior mentors who can guide them in career progression.
- Encourage networking and collaboration, fostering a sense of community among female academics and creating spaces for peer support.
These sessions highlighted a strong demand for structured mentorship programmes and a growing recognition of the importance of professional networks in career advancement. Participants emphasised the need for formalised mentorship structures, where experienced female leaders could support and guide junior colleagues navigating the complexities of academic career progression.
A significant milestone in the project was the one-on-one interviews conducted with key female leaders in the sector. These interviews uncovered several major obstacles facing female academics in Egyptian universities, including:
- Cultural and institutional biases that limit career advancement opportunities for women.
- The absence of structured mentorship and professional networks, making it difficult for female academics to gain the necessary support and guidance to move into senior roles.
- Work-life balance challenges, which disproportionately affect female academics due to societal expectations regarding family responsibilities. Additionally, focus group discussions were held with deans, department heads and senior academics to gather further insights. These discussions reinforced the urgent need for structured support systems for women in higher education leadership, emphasising the importance of policy interventions and institutional commitments to gender equity.
Additionally, focus group discussions were held with deans, department heads and senior academics to gather further insights. These discussions reinforced the urgent need for structured support systems for women in higher education leadership, emphasising the importance of policy interventions and institutional commitments to gender equity.
Insights from TASHBEEK
Through its wide-ranging activities, TASHBEEK has generated several important findings that highlight the urgent need for continued efforts to advance gender equity in Egyptian higher education:
- The importance of a supportive network: There is a strong demand for a formalised digital platform to facilitate knowledge sharing, mentorship, and collaboration among female academics.
- The critical role of mentorship: Senior female academics expressed a strong interest in mentoring junior colleagues, emphasising the need for structured mentorship programmes that provide guidance and professional development.
- Addressing cultural and systemic barriers: Issues such as unequal pay, intellectual theft, and unconscious bias remain prevalent, necessitating targeted policy reforms to ensure a fair and inclusive academic environment.
- Advocacy for institutional change: Participants called for greater representation of women in university governance structures, alongside the development of clear policies promoting gender equity in hiring, promotion, and leadership selection.
- Expanding awareness and capacity-building: More training sessions, networking events, and leadership development programmes are needed to equip female academics with the skills and confidence to pursue senior leadership positions.
Legislative reform
Recognising the need for systemic change, the TASHBEEK team has successfully secured funding for a new initiative: TASHREE – which stands for Towards Advancing and Securing Higher Education Legislation for the Representation of Females in Executive Leadership in Egypt.
TASHREE’s objectives include:
- Advocating for policy reforms that mandate gender equity in university leadership appointments.
- Collaborating with government agencies to institutionalise gender-inclusive policies at the national level.
- Engaging with university governance bodies to develop and implement equity-focused leadership pathways for female academics.
By shifting the focus from network-building (TASHBEEK) to policy reform (TASHREE), this initiative aims to create lasting structural changes that ensure sustained female representation in higher education leadership.
A call for collaboration
With TASHREE set to launch in 2025, there is growing momentum to push for tangible legislative changes. The project team is calling on:
- Higher education institutions to commit to gender-equity policies and leadership development programmes for women.
- Government agencies to support legal reforms that mandate increased female representation in university executive leadership.
- International partners to contribute expertise, funding, and advocacy efforts to support the initiative’s objectives.
As Egypt continues to advance towards a more inclusive and equitable academic environment, TASHBEEK and TASHREE serve as blueprints for change – demonstrating the power of collaboration, mentorship, and policy advocacy in breaking barriers for women in higher education.
Through continued efforts, gender equity in Egyptian academia can be transformed from an aspiration into a reality – one in which talented and capable women are empowered to lead and shape the future of higher education.