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0OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES
IN WOMEN LEADERS
JAVOHIRA AKBAROVNA HAYDAROVA Doctoral Researcher at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Abstract: This article provides a systematic analysis of the barriers to developing management competencies in women leaders. It explores factors that hinder women's personal development and classifies the motivators for women leaders in their careers and businesses. Additionally, proposals and recommendations are developed for systematically overcoming barriers to the development of management competencies in women leaders and implementing relevant measures.
Keywords: Women leaders, women, management competencies, management values, gender equality, public and societal administration, personal development, career model.
УСТРАНЕНИЕ ПРЕПЯТСТВИЙ НА ПУТИ РАЗВИТИЯ УПРАВЛЕНЧЕСКИХ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ ЖЕНЩИН-РУКОВОДИТЕЛЕЙ
ХАЙДАРОВА ДЖАВАХИРА АКБАРОВНА
Базовый докторант Академии государственного управления при Президенте
Республики Узбекистан
Аннотация. В данной статье систематически анализируются препятствия в развитии управленческих компетенций женщин-лидеров. Выделены факторы, препятствующие личностному развитию женщин. Классифицированы карьерные и деловые мотиваторы женщин-руководителей. Также были разработаны предложения и рекомендации по системному устранению препятствий в развитии управленческих компетенций женщин-руководителей и реализации соответствующих мер.
Ключевые слова. Женщины-лидеры, женщины, управленческие компетенции, управленческие ценности, гендерное равенство, государственное и общественное управление, личностное развитие, модель карьеры.
Introduction. Today, numerous efforts are being undertaken to enhance the role of women in society and to promote their involvement in leadership positions within government and administrative bodies. The international community is also implementing systematic measures to support women's participation in the field of management. In developed countries, special attention is given to ensuring gender equality, enhancing women's roles in the socio-political and economic life of society, and expanding their participation in public administration.
Systematic measures are being implemented in our country to appoint women to leadership positions. "In his address at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, our President also drew the world community's attention to the issue of gender equality, emphasizing that enabling women to fully realize their potential, providing them with all necessary conditions, and protecting their rights have become one of the priorities of our national policy" [1].
Paragraph 25 of the "Uzbekistan - 2030" strategy also defines the task of "strengthening the support system for women, ensuring their rights and legal interests, increasing their social, economic, political activity and ensuring gender equality." Based on this task, specific targets have been set today to increase the socio-political activity of women, to strengthen their role in the state and society.
President Sh. Mirziyoyev's speech at the ceremony dedicated to the thirty-third anniversary of the state independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan said, "These days, our country is on the verge of an important political event. On October 27, elections will be held for the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and regional representative bodies.
These elections will be held on the basis of the mixed electoral system, as in developed countries, in the socio-political environment defined by our updated Constitution. Political parties have decided that the share of our honorable women should be at least 40 percent when nominating candidates [2] for the Legislative Chamber, which will serve to increase the participation of women in state administration by increasing their political activity.
Increasing the role of women in public administration is one of the main elements of sustainable national development. On October 20, 2018, the Government of Uzbekistan adopted a decision "On measures to implement national goals and objectives" for sustainable development until 2030. 5.5 of national goals and tasks in the field of sustainable development in the period until 2030. in its mission - "emphasizes the need to ensure full and effective participation of women and equal opportunities for them to lead at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and social life [3].
According to Decree No. PF-81 of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on March 1, 2022, the position of women's activist was introduced in all towns, villages, and villages, as well as in every neighborhood of cities, towns, villages, and villages. As a result, a base of reserve candidates for leadership positions at the neighborhood level was formed. Women managers operating in the sheep system will have the opportunity to be promoted to higher positions based on the career model.
In our country, a number of activities are being carried out to continuously improve the skills of women, including women leaders, and to develop management competencies in them, but if we analyze it regionally, mental values in some regions prevent the development of management competencies of women leaders.
There are several typical obstacles that today's women executives face in developing their management competencies to advance their careers. Often, gender stereotypes in the regions are obstacles for women leaders to change their careers (for example, combining care for children and family with work and career, as well as lack of skills and qualifications, self-doubt, etc.).
Another feature of gender restrictions is explained by the fact that the participation of women leaders in management activities is not highly valued. In our opinion, the main obstacles affecting the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities of women managers in all regions of Uzbekistan: are "psychological barriers", "existing social relations", "lack of information and skills", "gender and age restrictions", "stereotypes" and others.
According to Helena Fraser, permanent representative of the United Nations Development Program in Uzbekistan, "The presence of women in leadership positions has led to the positive development of societies in all countries. Thus, world practice shows that increasing the power of women in public administration leads to the development of legislation taking into account gender factors, the participation of women in politics shows that women's everyday problems also grow in parliamentary discussions. In this way, the empowerment of women in public administration improves the protection of women's interests [4].
There are many obstacles in the process of developing managerial competencies of women in leadership positions. These barriers can range from gender inequality and cultural stereotypes in society to internal and external factors that hinder women's personal and professional development.
Methods. The methodological basis of the study is formed by the fundamental laws of sociology, concepts, laws and principles of developing managerial competencies of women leaders, foreign and domestic scientists who have conducted research on the formation of managerial competencies in women leaders, as well as regulatory and legal documents adopted in the Republic of Uzbekistan on the involvement of women in managerial activities. In the course of this study, the system of overcoming obstacles to the development of managerial competencies of women leaders was studied using scientific research methods such as critical analysis, a comprehensive approach, questionnaires, interviews, analysis and synthesis, content analysis, functional and comparative analysis.
Results. A number of studies have been conducted in the global and regional context on the elimination of obstacles in the development of management competencies of women leaders.
Research on gender and leadership has been conducted by University of Massachusetts researchers Alice Igley and Linda Carley. In their work, barriers to women's leadership activities, and factors influencing the performance of leadership duties were studied [5]. New York University psychology professor Madeleine Healey conducted research on gender stereotypes and their impact on women's professional lives [6]. Sheryl Kara Sandberg, the former CEO of Facebook, said about gender issues: "Don't be afraid to take action. The book "Women, work and the Will to Lead" provides an analysis of women leaders and gender barriers [7].
The advanced experience of foreign countries shows that in many countries, women are employed in public service based on the principle of meritocracy. In particular, equal opportunities have been created for citizens to get a job, and the practice of rejecting any form of discrimination and hiring personnel on the basis of selection has been introduced.
Due to this, the share of women in civil services is 73% in Russia, 53.8% in Great Britain, 61% in France, 60% in Australia, 56% in Kazakhstan, 55% in Canada, 55% in the UAE, and 55% in Italy. 53%, in the USA - 44%, in Japan - 36.8%, in Georgia - 29.3%, in India - 23%.
These positive indicators are the following special measures implemented in foreign countries: development of a separate legal regulation regulating remote work (USA); giving reasonable preferences to women, especially women with children, in employment (Finland); preparation of special work plans for ensuring gender equality in each organizational section (Iceland); additional support system for women (Belgium); development of special measures to prepare women for senior leadership positions (Singapore); mandatory establishment of a separate (30-40%) women's quota for executive bodies and supervision of the implementation of this order by ministries and agencies (France, Norway, Kazakhstan); subsidizing employers to shift employees to flexible schedules (Korea); attention to women's education, a special quota for women in public service and the formation of a ranking of ministries and agencies on ensuring gender equality and increasing the weight of women (UAE) and introducing a modified system of working hours (Japan) - increasing the attractiveness of public service for women and can be instrumental in increasing the proportion of female employees [8].
The international community has a number of programs and initiatives to support women's participation in governance. These programs are mainly aimed at developing women's leadership skills, empowerment, and equality in the political, economic, and social spheres.
1. United Nations (UN) programs
UN Women: It is a specialized organization of the UN focused on women's rights and gender equality, and implements various projects to promote the role of women in governance and support them.
CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women): This convention protects women's political and economic rights, and promotes legislative reforms to ensure their participation in various aspects of society, including governance.
2. The World Bank and international financial institutions
The World Bank Group Gender Strategy: The World Bank provides various financial support programs aimed at promoting gender equality, including increasing women's economic activity and developing leadership skills.
IFC's Women on Boards and in Business Leadership: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) supports the appointment of women to boards and leadership positions.
3. European Union and other regional initiatives
EU Gender Action Plan: The European Union has a specific strategy to protect women's rights and increase their political and economic activities. One of the main goals of this program is to involve women in decision-making processes.
African Union Gender Strategy: The African Union has developed a specific strategy to ensure gender equality and promote women's political and economic activities.
4. Private sector initiatives
Women's Leadership Development Programs: Maj or companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Deloitte develop special programs to support the professional growth of women leaders. These programs mainly include training, mentoring, and networking.
30% Club: This is an international initiative that works to increase the percentage of women on corporate boards to at least 30%.
5. Foundation and NGO projects
Vital Voices Global Partnership: This organization implements global programs aimed at developing women's leadership skills and supporting their political and economic participation.
Women for Women International: This international non-governmental organization implements programs aimed at supporting women in difficult situations. It helps them develop business and leadership skills.
These programs aim to increase the role of women in management, ensure gender equality, and expand the activities of women in society.
Discussion. It is desirable to implement fundamental, practical, innovative, and start-up projects to identify obstacles affecting the growth of female leaders in the horizontal and vertical system of public administration and to eliminate them. Based on the regional analysis of socioeconomic barriers to the appointment of women to leadership positions, it is appropriate to develop a "strategic program for involving women in management activities" and to organize special training for women working in the lower echelon of state administration under this program.
According to research conducted by the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, "In the last two years, have you given up career growth or business development on your initiative?" to the question, the female leaders gave the answer that family and personal time is a priority (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. "In the past two years, have you given up career advancement or business development on your initiative?" the answer of the respondents to the question
From the results of this research, we can see that in the next two years, we will witness an increase in the indicator of "offer and use of opportunities". Therefore, increasing the number of offers based on an open competition in attracting women to leadership positions in state bodies and offices leads to high results.
Women cite prioritizing family and personal time as the main reason for not taking a career step several years in a row. We can conclude that women always pay more attention to the family (Figure
Survey conducted in 2021
Survey conducted in 2022
■ Yes, there was an experience of rejection
■ There were no offers/opportunities.
■ Yes, there was an experience of rejection
■ There were no offers/opportunities.
■ I used the following offer/features
The main reasons for the failure of development in women
Lack of support for working in the family
Lack of competencies
14
Non-availability of a suitable position
26
Lack of confidence in one's own abilities, fear of failure
26
Family priority, lack of personal time
32
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Figure 2. Factors that hinder personal development in women.
35
To ensure the growth of women leaders at all levels of management, it is important to study mental values in the cross-section of regions. It is also important to develop a "personal development" program based on the analysis of the main motivators and supporting factors that help them work on their careers.
In the article "Women Managers and Entrepreneurs: Obstacles and Motivators in Career and Business" by Russian research scientist Marina Karban [9], "What are the motivators and helpers in developing your career or business?" to the question, most of the respondents gave the answer that "Working only with my motivation, working with my own confidence moves me forward." They also listed issues such as the existence of special "training and development programs" for women, and a permanent "mentoring system" to assist them in their management activities (Figure 3).
What are the motivators and helpers in developing your career or
business?
Programs and initiatives to support women Reducing stress in the family, raising children Examples of successful women Support from spouse and family Leader support The need for more income Mentoring/coaching Training and development programs Intrinsic motivation and confidence
20
23 23
32 33
36 I 37
41
67
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Figure 3. Motivators of women leaders in career and business.
80
The characteristics of the organization in which they operate also play an important role in the development of women leaders along the career trajectory. If the women leaders working at the lower level feel the need for the support of the head of the organization and their teammates, the women working at the middle and upper levels feel the need for the support of the family and spouse more.
8
According to the results of the research, Russian research scientist Marina Karban said, "When it comes to topics for development programs, the participants in the research gave almost the same answer. In the first place, they emphasized the importance of such competencies as "team management", "human resources management", "time management", "change management", "conflict management", and "stress management" [10]. In general, support matters not only to women or men but to anyone who needs it. The more female leadership role models there are, the more women will be interested in leadership, and each woman leader will develop herself along her career trajectory.
The participation of women leaders at the lower and middle levels of management in decision-making on the management of the state and society is a factor in ensuring gender equality. It also allows us to respond to the issues raised in the decision-making process in the interest of women.
Significant changes have been made in Uzbekistan in recent years. Special programs to support women, "School of Women Leaders" and special training courses "Leaders of the Future" have been established, and special educational seminars and trainings aimed at developing management competencies of women leaders are being implemented.
Conclusions. In conclusion, it is desirable to systematically eliminate the following obstacles in the development of management competencies of women leaders and to implement appropriate measures:
1. Gender Stereotypes and Cultural Responsibilities: In many societies, women are seen as primarily responsible for family and domestic work, and there is also a perception that women lack leadership skills. This prevents women from exercising their leadership potential.
2. Limited Networks and Resources: Women are underserved by the professional networks that are important for advancement to leadership positions, as they have less access to larger economic and political networks. Also, the lack of financial and educational resources complicates this process.
3. Work-life balance: Generally, women find it difficult to balance work and family responsibilities while in leadership positions. This is caused by long working hours high responsibilities in the profession and the conflict of obligations in home life.
4. Lack of Mentoring and Support: Mentoring programs for women may lack advice and support from experienced women leaders. Lack of mentoring has a negative impact on their professional development and leadership skills.
5. Education and training opportunities: In some societies, access to higher education or management courses for women is limited. Under these conditions, women lag in developing professional and leadership skills.
6. Internal barriers and self-confidence: Women's low self-confidence is also an important factor. Social norms and upbringing can cause them to have low self-esteem, which prevents them from striving for leadership positions.
To overcome these barriers, organizations must develop policies and support programs that focus on gender equality. Mentoring programs that support women's professional development and leadership skills, education and training opportunities, and equitable workplace conditions may be the right way forward.
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