I work as a deputy head in at a Czech-British school in Prague, a stunning European capital with world-class art, culture and education.

It’s easy to wax poetic about the country, but like anywhere there are issues.

A recent European Commission report states that Czech women earn 21.1 percent less than men, placing Czechia at the bottom of the EU for the gender pay gap.

Because the gap has not narrowed over the past decade, the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has launched a campaign to mitigate the problem. 

One might assume that the international schools sector here is more attuned to gender equality.

Not a unique situation

In Prague, there are more than a dozen all-through schools international schools in operation, suggesting a varied range of global leadership.

However, only one is led by a woman, despite the fact that 70 percent of teachers in OECD countries are female, and none are led by people of colour, though our student bodies are quite diverse.

A sweep through international school websites worldwide or a seat at a school leaders’ conference affirms the same thing: international schools are missing out on a pool of talent that more diversity could provide.

Likewise, it seems reflecting students’ backgrounds in staff and leadership should be a moral imperative. 

The issue is complex. Multiple studies demonstrate that male candidates are more likely to score job interviews than equally qualified women or candidates with “ethnic” sounding names.

Yet white men are by far the biggest group of applicants for international school leadership roles.

Many of these schools are phenomenal places to work, with generous holidays, friendly communities and school placements for children; so why aren’t they attracting a wider variety of competent educationalists?

Set in their ways

In its Gender equitable recruitment and promotion paper, Gov.au suggests honing the hiring process to attract more leadership candidates. Steps forward include:

• Avoid gendered wording in job adverts, such as “competitive” and “dominant”.
• Actively consider bias in interview invitations and the evaluation of credentials.
• Be aware of not penalising candidates for subverting gender stereotypes (such as women who assertively negotiate salary).
• Have standardised selection criteria with preassigned weightings.
• Beware of purporting to be “meritocratic”, which may provide “a veneer of objectivity that allows decisions to go unchallenged”.

Flexible working benefits

Moreover, WomenEd, a global grassroots movement that connects existing and aspiring women leaders in education, lists flexible working as a key challenge in making leadership opportunities accessible.

This includes job-sharing, part-time positions and flexible working hours and arrangements.

The Chartered College of Teaching’s website has a number of case studies “that demonstrate how schools have used a range of flexible working practises to the benefit of individual employees, organisations and pupils”.

In terms of work to be done pre-school leadership, it’s also important to note that not everyone in our schools might be garnering the experience they need to apply for such roles.

Spotting your own shortcomings

Gov.uk cites the following as a starting point to ensure women are on a level playing field, and I’d argue these questions could be framed for race and nationality, as well:

• Do people get “stuck” at certain levels within your organisation?
• Is there gender imbalance in promotions?
• Are women more likely to be recruited into lower paid roles in your organisation?
• Do men and women leave your organisation at the same rates?
• Do particular aspects of pay (ie, starting salaries and bonuses) differ by gender?
• Do men and women receive different performance scores on average?

Additionally, the Harvard Business Review suggests amending performance evaluations so that criteria and focus are relative to concrete outcomes, not potential; “separate personality and potential from skill sets”.

Employers should be transparent about how promotion and salary decisions are made and stick to those commitments.

International schools tout tenets of multicultural understanding, equity, tolerance, global-mindedness and inclusion.

But these lofty mission statements need be reflected in the way they promote and recruit leaders. 

Emily Rankin is a deputy head and English teacher at The English College in Prague, Czech Republic. She is also the regional lead for @WomenEdCzech and has taught internationally for 9 years