Leadership and women: The space between us. Narrating the stories of senior female educational leaders in Malta

This narrative study investigates the perceptions and experiences of senior female educational leaders in Malta, from ministerial to directorial level, set against a backdrop where traditional beliefs, including those shaped by the Catholic Church, continue to position women and girls as inferior in many areas of Maltese social life despite EU-aligned gender-equity laws.

Using a constructivist, narrative approach, the study collected in-depth interview data from eight senior female educational leaders in Malta between 2017 and 2018. Findings showed that women in these leadership roles face challenges specific to being female, leading the study to recommend genuine family-friendly workplace measures, structured professional development programmes for current and aspiring women leaders, and training on building healthy collegial relationships.