Women and leadership in non-listed private companies in an emerging country: An analysis of barriers and facilitators

This study explores women's barriers to accessing leadership positions within non-listed private companies in Bangladesh, drawing on the Gendered Organization Theory (GOT) as a conceptual framework. This research seeks some possible solutions to overcome these barriers. The study adopts a two-wave qualitative methodology: semi-structured interviews with 16 women professionals and subsequent focus-group discussions to explore solutions. Results reveal that women face significant barriers, such as long working hours, gender pay gaps, unclear responsibilities, biased promotion processes, lack of training, and sexual harassment. These barriers are conceptualized in terms of implicit and explicit gender biases. Research participants emphasized individual efforts like self-determination, upskilling, job switching, technology leveraging, and family support as key factors in overcoming these obstacles. The study underscores the need for organizational and governmental interventions to promote female leadership and gender equity in non-listed companies in developing countries.