Barriers to Women's Career Advancement in Indonesian Academia: A Qualitative Empirical Study

Abstract

Why is the representation of women fewer than men in the top academic positions in Indonesia? To answer this question, the researcher did an empirical study using qualitative method to explore any possible barriers that have been encountered or faced by women. Twenty-five participants consisted of 19 lecturers (4 men and 15 women) and 6 senior leaders (3 rectors and 3 deans, all men) from 6 selected universities participated in this in-depth interviews. The results showed that female academics face multiple barriers to advance to top positions: family-, organizational-, and individual-related barriers. The family related barriers (e.g. family responsibility and spousal restriction) and organizational-related constraints (e.g. discrimination and masculine culture) were the most frequently mentioned barriers preventing women from achieving both top academic and leadership positions. However, individual-related barriers (e.g. being in a minority position and lacking confidence) only appeared to have a negative effect on reaching top leadership positions. These findings contribute to the knowledge about factors associated with the scarcity of women in top positions in academia, with a particular focus on the Indonesian context. Affirmative action should be provided for women to reduce the gender gap in top positions in Indonesian academia.