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WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

SHAPPING OSUN TOURISM SECTOR: OPPORTUNITIES, BARRIERS AND LEADERSHIP REALITIES

Tourism is often described as one of the most accessible sectors for women’s economic participation. In Osun State, where culture, heritage, and community-based tourism shape the industry, women are visibly involved across hospitality, event coordination, crafts, food services, and cultural production. Yet visibility does not always translate into influence, and participation does not always lead to leadership.

Women form the backbone of many tourism-related activities in Osun State, particularly at the grassroots level. Their contributions sustain festivals, heritage experiences, and hospitality services that attract visitors and generate local income. These roles provide entry points into entrepreneurship and creative work, especially for women navigating limited formal employment opportunities.

However, structural barriers continue to shape how far women can progress within the sector. Many remain concentrated in informal or support roles, with limited access to decision-making spaces. Leadership positions within tourism institutions and policy circles remain relatively exclusive, making it difficult for women to influence long-term strategy and resource allocation.

This leadership gap was a central theme during an interview conducted on October 30, 2025, with the General Manager of the Osun State Tourism Board, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Margaret Ajayi, one of the few women holding a top leadership role within the state’s tourism governance. Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledged that obstacles are an unavoidable part of working in tourism, particularly for women. However, she emphasised that progress depends on sustained commitment rather than being distracted by challenges.

According to her, passion alone is not enough. the General Manager stressed the importance of following passion with consistent action, noting that many women abandon long-term goals when faced with competing pressures or new opportunities. For her, leadership requires focus, resilience, and the discipline to build systems rather than chase visibility.

She also spoke openly about the realities of institutional leadership, including managing expectations, navigating limited resources, and balancing innovation with policy constraints.

While her experience demonstrates that women can and do lead within the tourism sector, it also highlights how exceptional such cases remain. Access to leadership is often shaped by structural factors such as funding, political support, and professional networks; areas where women frequently face disadvantages.

Beyond leadership, access to finance and training remains a persistent barrier. Many women-led tourism businesses struggle to secure funding to scale their operations or professionalise their services. This limits the sector’s overall growth and reinforces inequality within tourism value chains.

Media representation plays a crucial role in either reinforcing or challenging these dynamics. Tourism narratives often celebrate destinations and events while overlooking the women who plan, organise, and sustain them. When women’s contributions are excluded from storytelling, their work remains undervalued, and their chances of attracting partnerships or institutional support diminish.

Digital media presents an opportunity to shift this pattern. Strategic storytelling can amplify women’s voices, document their impact, and reframe tourism as a space of leadership rather than support roles. However, this potential remains underutilised in Osun State’s tourism communication.

Tourism policy, when intentionally designed, can address these gaps. Gender-responsive policies, improved access to funding, leadership development, and inclusive media representation are not optional additions but essential tools for sustainable tourism development.

Osun State’s tourism sector holds significant promise for women. The presence of women in leadership, though limited, demonstrates what is possible. Expanding that possibility requires deliberate action from policymakers, media practitioners, and institutions to ensure that women are not only participants in tourism but recognised leaders shaping its future.


By: Zainab Ayokunnu Muhammed


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