The Discrepancy of Student Leadership
Men hold approximately 90% of CEO positions in society, so why is student leadership so female-heavy?
Being a leader is one of the core four B1 Bison values, but how many students are really taking action and meeting student expectations? Looking at a variety of non-sport activities at Buffalo High School, 81.2% of activity leaders are female, and 18.8% are male. Why are there more women than men in leadership positions in our school?
Females dominating the leadership positions in high schools is a nationwide trend. According to research highlighted by the American Council on Education (ACE) and several educational studies, approximately 70% of high school valedictorians are female. In a study conducted in the Journal of Leadership Education, Gender and class level were significantly associated with student leadership development. Specifically, women had relatively higher leadership development than men in congruence, commitment, and citizenship in high schools. That said, leaders from BHS share their views on why women dominate leadership positions.
Hailey Hathaway-Oxley ‘26, NHS Executive, says, “I think it’s because women have to fight to have their voices heard versus men, who are already listened to, which is why women try to get into leadership positions to have their voices heard.”
According to Lilah Dongoski ‘27, Tri-M Leadership member, “Women tend to care a lot more when it comes to leadership positions. We tend to focus on social roles, and women in leadership club positions seems typical.”
Leaders aren’t just roles to be filled; they make a difference to society and make decisions that benefit their jobs. The trend with females being the majority of leaders in high school isn’t just for nothing; it’s expected. Women around the world try to have their voices heard, and it all starts from a place of experience, a place of leadership, and high school is known as being the beginning of your responsible lives.
In a survey conducted by Hoofprint staff sent to leadership committees of 9 non-sport activities, ranging from theater to BPA and FFA, 56/69 participants in activity leadership were female.
