Abstract
This study traces subordinate women’s perceptions of the root causes of the rift and
polarization between women in subordinate positions and women in super-ordinate positions
and how this impacts female leadership emergence. Unlike many earlier studies on leadership,
this investigation interrogates the feminine leadership crisis from the point of view of women
in subordinate positions. Whilst using a case study research design, 50 female teachers from
Gweru in Zimbabwe completed questionnaires while 10 officers from the Ministry of Women
Affairs were interviewed. Descriptive statistics, mainly, frequencies and percentages were used
to analyze data. The study reveals that women play a significant role in their own demise in
leadership as they spent a lot of time and energy fighting each other. Most subordinate women
expressed that they neither like nor support female leaders and prefer working under male
leaders. This confirms the prevalence of the “Pull Her Down Syndrome”. The study serves to
remind women that a divided house falls and therefore, it encourages women to support and
help each other in leadership circles in the true spirit of feminism.
SAMSON MUTSAGONDO. (2015) THE LONG WALK TO LEADERSHIP: ARE WOMEN THEIR OWN WORST ENEMIES?, Paradigms , Vol 9, Issue 1.
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