The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Gender Equality

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of ethical leadership on gender equality within private higher education institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Drawing on Social Learning Theory and Social Exchange Theory, the research examines how leaders’ fairness, honesty, and integrity influence organizational practices that support inclusivity and equal opportunities across genders. A quantitative research design was employed, using data collected from 294 faculty members across seven HEC-recognized private universities. Reliability analysis confirmed strong internal consistency for both ethical leadership (α = 0.89) and gender equality (α = 0.86) measures. Correlation and regression analyses revealed a weak but significant positive relationship between ethical leadership and gender equality (r = .136, p < .05; B = 0.138, p = .020). ANOVA results further confirmed the model’s significance (F = 5.472, p = .020). However, when organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) was introduced as a mediator, the direct effect of ethical leadership on gender equality became nonsignificant, suggesting that ethical leadership’s influence operates indirectly through commitment mechanisms. These findings highlight that while ethical leadership fosters fairness, transparency, and inclusivity, its effectiveness in advancing gender equality depends on institutional support and employee commitment. The study contributes to leadership and organizational behavior literature by underscoring the importance of integrative strategies for promoting gender equity in patriarchal and culturally constrained contexts such as Pakistan.