Reflecting on the Journeys of Women in Higher Education Leadership: A Case Study in South Africa

Indra Nooyi (2021, p. 273/4), former Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo, wrote in her biography on why she accepted as many invitations as possible to conferences in support of and to advance women: “These events are important for keeping society’s inequities in the spotlight and for supporting women as they manoeuvre in tough careers. But they do more than that. They build our sisterhood. Women share. We gain resolve when we hear others’ stories and meet people who sympathize with our struggles”. This paper shares the stories of four women who have achieved the highest levels of leadership in South Africa’s public universities. The sharing the journeys and experiences of two deputy vice-chancellors and two vice-chancellors, pick up on themes that echo through time, in supporting and advancing equity in and towards leadership. In a society where patriarchy still dominates and holds a violent, oppressive grip over women and girl-children, women’s stories of struggle and achievement need to be told. In their navigation and victories over their own challenges, these women become the role models for young women and girl-children. Their achievements affirm women, their resilience and strength. Their determination and courage in taking up apex positions in universities, affirm women as equal members of society, debunking patriarchal notions of gendered roles and spaces. The paper highlights their lessons learnt, and contributes to the body of knowledge on the intrinsic and extrinsic attributes and drivers that women develop and adopt on these journeys.