Rising Together: Transforming Women’s Leadership in East African Higher Education

Dr. Naomi Lumutenga and Prof. Margaret Khaitsa share how they confronted deeply rooted structural and cultural barriers, co-founding HERS-EA, a transformative Ugandan-based organization that equips women with the skills, networks, and confidence to lead. In this reflection, they invite equity‑oriented women in academia to challenge the status quo across borders—and rise together, purposefully and powerfully.

Stepping into Leadership: A Personal Reflection

Leadership in higher education wasn’t something either of us deliberately aimed for. It arose out of necessity. When we looked around, we saw the same pattern across East African universities. Women were underrepresented in decision-making roles despite being qualified, passionate, and committed to education and community development.

For Naomi, this journey started with a desire to challenge structural barriers from within. After years of teaching, she realized that unless women intentionally moved into leadership roles, the current situation would continue. Naomi saw women pushed to the margins, and placed in junior roles with few opportunities for growth, and often having  to balance academic careers with caregiving responsibilities at home. Leadership became a way for her to create space for others.

Margaret’s story began in the field of science. Her career in veterinary medicine, a field historically dominated by men, early on exposed her to the realities of being ‘the only woman in the room’. She understood that leadership wouldn’t be handed to her; she would need to claim it and, more importantly, open doors for others.

Our paths merged in 2012 when we came together to create Higher Education Resource Services-East Africa (HERS-EA), a Ugandan-based organization that leverages training, mentoring and networking to transform women into visionary leaders in higher education and beyond. Our shared goal was and still is to create intentional, supportive structures that enhance women’s leadership capacity in higher education institutions across the region–and we currently support women in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania.

Systemic and Cultural Barriers for Women Leaders

Broadly, progress in education access, systemic and cultural barriers continue to shape and limit women’s leadership trajectories in the region.

Dr. Emily Nakamya was the first girl in her family to study science subjects in high school, despite discouragement from her family who would have preferred her to pursue social sciences. When she started work at a university as an Assistant Lecturer, she was not allocated an office and had to share with a male colleague; she could only access the office when he let her in. She was a mother of two children–aged 1 and 3 years–when she was offered a post-doc opportunity in Europe. Her husband and mother-in-law would not “allow” her to travel; if she did, they would not allow her to communicate with her children. Despite these obstacles, she travelled with her children and completed her post-doc. 

Upon her return, as a construction engineer, she was tasked to supervise a building project within the university, where she was the only woman, other than junior admin staff and cleaners (who she made friends with). There were no outfits and safety kits designed to fit her so she wore men’s outfits while she ordered her own.  She believed she had been set up to fail because her complaints about the sexist and demeaning comments from the men in her team were not addressed by the university authorities. Emily is currently in Europe, furthering her skills in energy saving constructions and looking forward to returning but well aware that her systemic battles as a female engineer and aspiring leader will go on. She is ready for them. 

As Dr. Nakamya’s experience illustrates, patriarchal norms still influence institutional practices. Leadership is often equated with dominance and control, traits historically associated with masculinity. As a result, women who lead collaboratively or express vulnerability may be seen as ‘weak’ or not leadership material.

In academia, these dynamics are revealed by structural imbalances. Many East African universities lack transparent promotion policies, and workloads are often unevenly distributed. Women are typically burdened with heavy teaching and student welfare responsibilities, leaving little room for research, the main currency for academic promotions.

Access to mentorship and leadership development opportunities remains a challenge. While some institutions have gender policies on paper, implementation is often underfunded or sidelined. This creates a leaky pipeline where promising female academics drop off before reaching senior leadership roles. Moreover, women in leadership often experience isolation. They navigate both overt and subtle resistance from colleagues, community members, and at times from within their own families.

Women in East African universities face a maze of systemic and cultural barriers. While some institutions have adopted gender equity policies, implementation remains weak, and in many cases, non-existent. Worse still, failure to implement comes with no consequences.

Recruitment and promotion processes can be subtly exclusionary. For example, job adverts often have upper age limits–usually 35–for doctoral programs, unintentionally disadvantaging women who may have delayed their studies due to family responsibilities. Interview panels frequently ask women about their families, questions rarely posed to male applicants.

Unwritten and unspoken cultural norms create discomfort and marginalization. Women often experience unwanted sexual comments or advances, and there’s still a pervasive belief held by both men and women that men are “strong” leaders while women who assert themselves are “aggressive.”

Women are also burdened with invisible labor, offering emotional support to students and colleagues, facilitating harmony in departments, all crucial contributions that are not formally recognized or rewarded in promotion criteria. That must change.

HERS-EA: Creating a Pipeline of Purposeful Leadership

HERS-EA 8th Academy, Kabale University, Uganda

Founded in 2014, HERS-EA has emerged as a transformative force in East African higher education. The mission is simple yet profound: to equip women in academia with the skills, confidence, and networks to thrive as leaders.

HERS-EA builds on the foundational curriculum of HERS-USA–a US based women’s leadership development organization–but has adapted it to the East African context. Our programs operate on a multi-tier model, developing women leaders at all levels of society, not just within academia. With over 300 alumni, each required to design and implement a leadership project, the transformation is tangible.

These projects often evolve into grant proposals addressing challenges facing women in their institutions or communities. One Vice Chancellor, reflecting on the impact of HERS-EA, proudly shared that he had appointed three female deans within two years, citing their enhanced leadership capacity thanks to the Academy.

Using a seed grant from Mississippi State University, HERS-EA supported grassroots women leaders to undertake projects like producing sanitary pads and managing poultry for nutrition and income generation. These initiatives not only empowered communities but also led to three peer-reviewed publications, bridging research and grassroots transformation.Through annual Leadership Academies, country chapters, and specialized workshops, we provide a space where women come to sharpen their strategic thinking, gain institutional insights, and build lasting peer support networks. HERS-EA’s approach goes beyond technical training; it harnesses and centers women’s lived experiences.

A Ripple Effect: One Alumna’s Journey

The ripple effect is visible. One standout story is that of a participant from our Fifth Academy, who transformed her leadership project into a successful $20,000 grant proposal, submitted jointly with HERS-EA to the Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP). The grant supported 30 participants at the Sixth Academy and funded a post-Academy workshop on Grant Writing and Academic Publishing in 2023.

As a Co-Principal Investigator, she gained practical leadership experience and presented her work at the Engagement for Scholarship Consortium (ESC2023) in Michigan. While there, she built new networks and participated in a virtual dissemination webinar that reached 40+ attendees from universities and NGOs across East Africa. Today, she leads a multi-billion-dollar fund, elected to the role based on her vision and leadership.

This is only one example. HERS-EA has not yet had the resources to fully track the ripple effects of our programs, but we know they are far-reaching.

The Power of Transnational Collaboration

HERS-EA’s new partnership with the Center for Liberated Leadership (C4LL) marks an exciting chapter in our work. This collaboration brings together African and African American women leaders who understand the weight of systemic exclusion and the power of collective advancement.

We believe that transnational partnerships are not about charity or capacity building in one direction. They are about mutual learning. The experiences of Black women in the U.S. navigating institutional racism and those of East African women facing patriarchy and underfunding are distinct yet interlinked.

The partnership with C4LL opens up avenues for co-creating leadership development models, hosting cross-continental dialogues, and designing joint mentorship programs. Together, we can explore questions like: What does liberated leadership look like across contexts? How do we resist burnout while carrying our communities?This partnership is a space for imagining futures where women’s leadership is not the exception but the norm.

Looking Ahead: A Future of Shared Possibility

Looking forward, we hope that the HERS-EA and C4LL partnership will become a living ecosystem, supporting mid-career women in their leadership journeys while influencing institutional policies. In the next few years, we envision launching virtual leadership cohorts co-facilitated by East African and U.S.-based mentors, publishing shared case studies on women's leadership pathways, and hosting a transcontinental Leadership Institute rooted in equity, care, and intersectionality.

And to the mid-career academic woman reading this: leadership may feel distant or daunting, but your journey matters. Step forward, not because it is easy, but because your perspective is urgently needed. Leadership is not about perfection; it’s about purpose. And when we rise, we bring others with us.

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About the Authors

Dr. Naomi Lumutenga is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Higher Education Resource Services-East Africa (HERS-EA). She is a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership and community engagement, with decades of experience in education administration across Uganda and the UK.

Dr. Margaret L. Khaitsa is the Founder and Chair of the HERS-EA Board and a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. Her academic and mentorship work bridges global health, leadership training, and advocacy for African women in STEM fields.

About the Center for Liberated Leadership

The Center for Liberated Leadership connects and supports BIPOC, women, LGBTQ and equity-oriented leaders so that they can lead with authenticity, purpose and joy. The Center's executive coaches help leaders navigate disruptive contexts and relentless workloads. Sign up for a free leadership consultation here.