World Bank2025-03-132025-03-132025-03-13https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42945The fact that women who have the skills, experience, and ability to be considered for promotions opt out of competitions for promotion is not cost-free. It reduces the overall skillset in the pool of applicants. And the underrepresentation of women discourages future generations of women from pursuing leadership positions. In other settings where women are underrepresented, women have been found to be more productive, on average, than men because they had to be far above the bar to overcome the barriers to entering the field. This suggests that equalizing representation of men and women in school leadership positions could raise the average quality of school leadership, and possibly student learning outcomes. In education, closing gender gaps in management is crucial. Diverse management teams make more balanced, equitable decisions that benefit a broader range of students. For example, gender diversity in school leadership can lead to more inclusive curricula, better representation for female teachers and students, and stronger role models for future generations of leaders.en-USCC BY-NC 3.0 IGOGENDER GAPSGENDER DISPARITIESRURAL SETTINGSWOMENTEACHINGSCHOOLSBriefWorld Bank10.1596/42945https://doi.org/10.1596/42945