The new scarlet letter: Global challenges of motherhood in public administration programs and how we could solve them

Abstract

AbstractMotherhood in academia remains vastly underrepresented in both developed and developing countries. Key career opportunities for women often coincide with childbearing and child‐rearing years, limiting their consideration for these positions. This underrepresentation diminishes academic mothers' ability to contribute meaningfully to public administration (PA) and development issues that deeply impact them. Using comparative administrative law, we develop a typology of environments academic mothers navigate, reflecting national and cultural differences. We investigate the historical, cultural, and structural factors perpetuating this inequity, highlighting biases and discrimination faced by academic mothers. Entrenched institutional structures and complacent cultural norms exacerbate their systemic oppression. Normalizing motherhood in academia, from graduate students to university presidents, requires new laws, policies, programs, and expectations that create strong legal protections and favorable institutional policies. We conclude with universal recommendations to transform academia into a more inclusive space for mothers, focusing on PA to address this pervasive issue.