Balancing motherhood and educational leadership experience of mothers in educational leadership in the Agona West Municipality

Abstract

This study examines the experiences of mothers in educational leadership within the Agona West Municipality, with a focus on understanding how they navigate the intersection of professional leadership responsibilities and motherhood. Guided by Role Conflict Theory and employing a qualitative phenomenological research design, the study captured the lived experiences of 15 mother-leaders selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that mothers in educational leadership faced persistent role conflict, emotional strain, and feelings of guilt stemming from competing demands of work and family. Participants highlighted challenges such as time pressure, limited institutional support, and societal expectations that reinforce traditional gender roles. Despite these barriers, the women employed coping strategies including time management, delegation, reliance on support networks, and self-care practices to sustain both roles. The study further revealed that institutional support systems were insufficient and primarily informal, with participants calling for improved flexibility, maternity-friendly policies, and organizational reforms tailored to working mothers. The study concludes that balancing leadership and motherhood is shaped not only by personal efforts but also by broader institutional and socio-cultural structures. It recommends context-specific measures such as policy reforms, leadership development programs, mentorship structures, and family-friendly workplace practices to support mother-leaders in the municipality. The study contributes to the limited body of literature on women’s leadership in Ghana and provides policy-relevant insights for educational stakeholders at the district level.