This study develops an integrated framework explaining how women educators, particularly in early childhood settings, build leadership capacity through the interaction of intrinsic motivation, self-development abilities, structural barriers, and the use of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Gender plays a significant role in shaping educators’ access to technology, their readiness for digital adoption, and the unique challenges women face in adapting to new tools. As digital technologies increasingly catalyze innovation and student-centred pedagogies, understanding women educators’ differentiated experiences becomes essential. The study aligns with SDG 5 by addressing gender equality and the empowerment of women through equitable access to enabling technologies. Intrinsic motivation—characterised by autonomy, competence, purpose, mastery, and self-growth—provides the internal energy that allows women educators to persist and develop despite dual burdens and social pressures. Self-development capacity enables them to pursue more dignified professional lives through clarity of purpose, priority setting, time management, and effective self-directed learning. At the same time, women educators encounter layered structural barriers arising from gender norms, domestic expectations, limited compensation, and unequal access to training, technology, and decision-making spaces. From a GEDSI perspective, these constraints reduce their agency, learning opportunities, and leadership visibility. Digital and AI empowerment can serve as a catalyst by reducing routine workload, accelerating learning, expanding access to information, and supporting participation in data-informed decision-making. The integration of these four constructs suggests that justice-oriented leadership among women educators emerges when intrinsic motivation is strengthened, self-development is supported, structural inequities are minimized, and technology is leveraged for empowerment.

Authors:
Melati Nurkirana, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Indonesia
Sari Pratiwi, Sekolah Merdeka Cita, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Sari Pratiwi is a Program Manager at Guru Belajar Foundation, Indonesia, focusing on teacher leadership, school transformation, and her current project on contextual mentoring to improve teaching quality.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sari-pratiwi-105618174/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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