RETRIDOL webinar on A Critical Conversation on Gender-Responsive Leadership in Open and Distance Education (ODE), will be held January 26, 2026

I am honored and humbled to have been invited to this very interesting and important panel discussion, together with my colleague Mpine Makoe. Thanks to Felix Kayode Olakulehin, Retridol. 

Some of my arguments, which will be highlighted, are on

• Gender-neutral leadership assumes equality; in practice, it often reinforces existing inequities.

• Gender-responsive leadership explicitly acknowledges structural barriers, power relations, and lived realities.

• Moves beyond numerical representation toward transformative and equity-driven leadership.

• Requires an intersectional approach, addressing gender alongside age, disability, socio-economic status, geography, and culture.

• Applies across policy, pedagogy, assessment, technology, and organizational culture.

• Emphasizes ethical, relational, and care-centered leadership, particularly relevant in ODE contexts.

Panel question:
How can ODE leaders design for equitable outcomes rather than equal treatment?

Power, Governance, and Decision-Making

• ODE systems often replicate traditional hierarchical power structures, despite an open ethos.

• Women and marginalized groups remain underrepresented in strategic decision-making.

• Key areas affected include digital transformation, AI adoption, funding priorities, and quality assurance.

• Governance models may embed implicit gender bias through performance metrics and leadership norms.

• Gender-responsive leadership requires transparent, participatory, and shared governance.

• Invisible and care labor, disproportionately carried by women, must be recognized and valued.

Panel question:
Who holds decision-making power in ODE, and whose voices remain excluded?