SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT: CULTURAL CONFIGURATIONS OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION

Abstract

Female leadership has gained prominence in the field of education as a subject of reflection, based on the conditions in schools that favor or hinder its development. This research is theory-based, examining the structural, cultural, and subjective dimensions that shape women's leadership trajectories in schools. It raises the need to problematize the institutional dynamics, pedagogical models, and regulatory frameworks that favor or hinder the formation of female leadership, identifying its transformative potential and the challenges that must be faced. From a methodological point of view, this essay is based on a critical review of the literature, structured around discourse analysis, gender approach, and cultural capital theory. The results suggest the possibility of highlighting the ways in which traditional evaluation practices, gender stereotypes, and rigid hierarchical structures constrain women's leadership opportunities, especially in rural or institutionally conservative contexts. However, there are also significant experiences of empowerment that arise from inclusive practices, support strategies, and equity policies. This reflection invites us to think of the school environment as a possible agent of subjectivities and spaces of agency for female leadership, questioning the logic of institutions from a critical, feminist, and pedagogically transformative position.