Women Leading Education Across the Continents

Women Leading Education Across the Continents: Harnessing the Joy in Leadership is the fifth collection of research from scholars around the globe who seek to understand the successes, challenges and progress of girls and women leading in education. Using a variety of approaches to their inquiries, the scholars and practitioners in this book discover and document the work of women leaders throughout the world, seeking to understand in more nuanced ways how to chart a path for a more just society for all. This volume explores the status of women in educational leadership internationally, the factors that affect their leadership, their personal experiences and stories, and their work within the broader context of human rights. The journey of discovery in these pages invites titiro whakamua—looking toward a world for the good of all people.

Women Leading Education Across the Continents: Harnessing the Joy in Leadership is a rare and ambitious project that explores both the depth of this important topic while also including important international perspectives. Collectively considered, the book investigates and critiques problems related to women and leadership while also celebrating successes and offering strategies for creating positive change in people, policies and practices. This is a must-read for educational leaders regardless of gender—there are lessons here for all organizations and individuals., I wholeheartedly endorse this excellent collection of women’s research from across the world, focusing on finding and harnessing the joy of leadership within education. Framing the book within a Māori kaupapa is a particularly strong feature, as it provides a platform for sharing what is unique about Aotearoa with the rest of the world. This book provides insights into how women have sought to both understand and transform the environments within which they live. ‘Kei a tātou tēnei ao; kei a tātau hoki ēnei iti kahurangi. This is our world; these are the challenges we must strive to overcome.’ (Māori proverb), Too often women and leadership topics focus on the negatives - the toxicity, the issues, the sexism and misogyny. These are all true and unfortunately accurate portrayals of one aspect of the dark side of leadership for women. But there is another side to which this book draws our attention. It is a well overdue collection of chapters on the possibilities and promises of leadership and of the joy within. I read it with great enjoyment and found the stories, drawing on a wide range of women's experiences, inspiring and full of hope. In an era of Trump, this is an important message to be providing., This book is an excellent addition to the work on women in educational leadership, with its broad perspective, and multi-cultural focus. Students of educational leadership will find it an excellent addition to the work in the field, and learn something new both about themselves as leaders, and the richness of the contexts within which women lead., This remarkable volume introduces a new dimension to women’s leadership in education. Teacher leaders, school principals and community educators will be inspired by diverse insights, cultural wisdom and global contexts. What a great textbook!

Rachel McNae is the Director of The Centre for Educational Leadership Research at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.  Underpinned by actions of social justice and activism, her award-winning research supports educational leaders to enhance and sustain culturally responsive leadership practices within schools and across communities.Elizabeth C. Reilly is internationally recognized for her research with women in educational leadership. She serves as Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership and Administration at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, USA.