Empowering Female Mid-Level Managers in the Public Sector: The Influence of Organizational Commitment to Gender Equality and the Mediating Effects of Mentorship and Support

Abstract

Oriented towards the development of a theoretical framework and model comprising recommendations and hypotheses that interlay the factors of organizational commitment to gender equality, mentorship programs, and organizational support, affecting further empowerment of female mid-level managers in the public sector health sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). This research was guided by the Onion Research Model, substantiating that these variables work together to prove to demonstrate next step in the growth of women. Recent literature underscore the importance of an organizational culture that genuinely promotes gender equality and makes available all the resources needed for female development. Commitment to gender equality is strengthened through the implementation of organized mentorship programs and enhanced organizational support; in this way, organizations will have a nurturing environment that fosters the advancement of their mid-level female managers and enhances performance and innovation across the whole organization. This research around implications also covers practical and policy contributions towards the public sector and elsewhere. For organizations, it calls for urgent considerations for structured mentorship initiatives at varying levels of the career lifecycle of female managers, supportive workplace policy development and spending on leadership programs for women, and advocacy for gender equality and partnering with NGOs to promote an inclusive culture. Policy implications require that the government take action in mandating mentorship programs and funding gender equality programs. The monitoring and evaluation framework that will be set up can also hold accountable for achieving gender equity and pushing for female leadership. This study adds to existing literature and proposes itself as a point of reference for future studies to put this model to the test and further explore gender equality dynamics within organizational contexts.