The effect of female marginalization and inclusion in leadership has been increasingly a topic for discussion. This study explores the experiences of women in leadership positions within Nigeria’s public sector, focusing on how workplace inclusion is enacted, perceived, and challenged. Even though there have been concerns and efforts to enhance gender equity in leadership, regrettably, women often are faced with subtle barriers that undermine their access to power and recognition. Drawing on Equity and Judith Butler’s Performativity Theories, this research explores how women in leadership positions especially in Nigeria public sector assess fairness in organizational practices and how they perform gender to navigate professional spaces.

Qualitative hermeneutic approach was used to conduct an in-depth interview, with women occupying leadership roles in Education Ministry and National orientation agency (NOA). From the findings, it was discovered that inclusion is often conditional and negotiated through gendered expectations, where professionalism requires balancing of competence with conformity to traditional femininity. Participants reported experiences of symbolic exclusion, unequal recognition, and the need to constantly manage perceptions. This study in conclusion, establishes that though some progress has been made, women inclusion remains lopsided and inconsistent. Therefore, meaningful inclusion requires deliberate action towards addressing both structural inequities and the performative dimensions of gender in leadership. It calls for transformative strategies that recognize the complex interplay of power, gender norms, and justice in shaping women’s leadership experiences.