CAPACITY BUILDING OF WOMEN LEADERS VIA MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

An academic study examining the cultural roots of gendered inequality in leadership and economic-power positions in Latvia, where women set up and lead vibrant governmental and private organisations yet remain largely absent from senior positions and marginalised in terms of power and resources. The study combines a literature review with qualitative interviews.

Qualitative life-story interviews were conducted with seven women engaged in higher-education management programmes who hold leadership positions in their organisations. The interview data reveal obstacles these women faced in career advancement, alongside their stories of success.

The authors conclude that equal participation of men and women in significant spheres of life, as declared in international and UN legislation, would strengthen democracy, and that higher education through management study programmes can build women's capacity for leadership via assertiveness training and encouraging independent, critical thinking. The paper frames leadership as a social construct shaped by community expectations — communities tend to perceive leaders as prototypically male, so women are less likely to be considered for leadership roles and their work can go unacknowledged.