Glass Ceilings and Stone Walls: Employment equity for women in Ontario school boards

Women continue to be underrepresented in administrative positions within the education system in Ontario, Canada, despite the existence of employment equity policy for women for 20 years. However, while government reports present statistical data to monitor policy progress, little research has been conducted into how women administrators experience employment equity policy in their everyday lives. This paper uses data from interviews with female administrators to examine their perceptions of gender relations within the context of the provincial policy. First, the memories of these women, as they entered and achieved administrative positions, are presented. Second, I discuss their experiences of contradiction with respect to the policy in practice. Finally, I identify the ways in which these women construct themselves as agents of resistance and change. The paper concludes by arguing that existing relations and practices within the education system constitute an 'invisible policy', which must be acknowledged in order to understand the policy contradictions experienced by women educators.