Using a qualitative horizontal comparative case study approach, this paper explores the experiences of female leaders in Central Asian academia to identify challenges they face in transition/performance, the sources of the challenges, and any differences in the experiences of the female leaders. The results of the study are consistent with prior studies conducted in other countries. One feature makes the experiences of women in the region distinctive. Unlike women in other contexts, women in Central Asia have to sort out several contradictory sets of gender expectations. The findings of this study also indicate that certain rules of operation of the informal power networks may create barriers to female advancement. Existing Western theories fail to explain the dynamics of informal exchange networks, which create barriers to female advancement. The contribution of this study is in bringing a new theoretical perspective to the analysis of female leadership in academia.