ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the impact of the rural context on leadership pathways and practice for women in education and more specifically, how this notion of ‘rural’ underpins the narratives of teachers and influences the identity of women in leadership in education. Mockler (2011) suggests that when it comes to being a teacher there is a complex relationship between the external political environment, personal experience and professional context. As a teacher practitioner and researcher in a rural context, I have observed the low numbers of existing and aspiring women in positions of leadership in rural contexts. Drawing on the narratives of the women interviewed for my doctoral research, I identify how living and working in a rural space impacts the professional and personal identities of women in leadership in education. Furthermore, I consider how educators have an opportunity to use these experiences and the rural context as a position of strength to initiate and advocate for change.
