The Triple Burden: Female Heads of Department Navigating Professional, Institutional, and Domestic Demands in Pakistani Higher Education

Abstract

Female Heads of Department (HoDs) in Pakistani universities carry several overlapping responsibilities of institutional leadership, domestic work, and academic productivity. The conflicting requirements result in a triple burden that impacts professional performance, emotional health, and work–life balance. Despite some research exploring issues of women's leadership roles and work-family conflict, few studies have explored these two issues together in the context of higher education in Pakistan. A phenomenological qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, is used to examine the lived experiences of female HoDs at Pakistani universities. The results indicate that the responsibilities of the institutions, the expectations of the families and the pressures of research are not different demands, but are continuous and concurrent negotiations. Participants reported that administrative complexity, emotional exhaustion, gender inequity, stunted academic work, and constant handling of housework were experienced. The study also shows that women leaders are involved in continuous emotional work and in constant negotiations of their identities in gendered institutional environments. The coping strategies were prioritizing time, managing their emotions, and seeking assistance from family and colleagues, but participants pointed to the importance of institutional reform and gender sensitive policies. The study provides an indepth understanding of the interconnected challenges encountered by female academic leaders in Pakistan, and calls for the creation of institutional structures and leadership arrangements that are enabling.