Academic Women Research Articles

Women’s non-linear journeys into and through higher education are considered through an emergent research process that spans qualitative and post-qualitative practice

ABSTRACT Founded on and sustained through patriarchal thought and value systems, higher education remains a highly gendered and en/gendering institution. This reflects and simultaneously constitutes epistemological injustice, and creates a viscous cycle or de/privilege. Moreover, regionality de-centres and further marginalizes women academics, and those belonging to other equity groups experience compounding inequities. To understand the experiences of ‘becoming’ women academics within regional universities, we engaged a qualitative collaborative autoethnography and the post-qualitative practice of re-considering and re-inscribing ethnographic ‘data’ that glowed in us. These glowful data illuminated our ‘non-linear’ and non-teleological careering away from, around, and into academia, highlighting synergies between our ‘non-traditional’ academic pathways and (un)structured, in-the-making epistemological practice. In this paper, we share our ‘glowful’ process and consider the possibilities (and tensions) of engaging in research that occupies a space bordering qualitative and post-qualitative inquiry, designed to resist Cartesian and Positivist epistemologies and methodological practices.

O NÍVEL DE CONHECIMENTO DAS ACADÊMICAS EM RELAÇÃo AS DISFUNÇÕES SEXUAIS FEMININAS E A ATUAÇÃO DA FISIOTERAPIA

Female sexual dysfunction is defined as any change or pain in one or more stages of the sexual response cycle, such as any disorder related to sexual desire, excitability, orgasm, sexual pain, dyspareunia and vaginismus. It is considered a public health problem that significantly affects the lives of women and their partners. The causes of sexual dysfunction in women are multifactorial, involving physical, psychological, social aspects or even being of unknown cause, physiotherapeutic treatment is not yet as widespread. Thus, the objective of the study is to evaluate the perception of knowledge of academics about the role of physiotherapy in female sexual dysfunctions in the city of Porto Velho- RO. The present study is cross-sectional in nature, with a sample of 104 academic women, aged between 20 and 30 years, who meet the criteria of the online questionnaire reporting having some sexual dysfunction, and about their knowledge of Physiotherapy. The results showed that in relation to knowledge of the role of physiotherapeutics in this field, 23.4% of participants reported having no knowledge of the role of physiotherapy in sexual dysfunctions. These data corroborate the literature and provide more evidence on the subject.

Enhancing Women's Leadership and Agency in the Context of University Spinouts and Businesses

This paper is reporting the preliminary results of a case study at Coventry University. Using innovative methodologies, we map needs of women in academia who intend to start a university spinout/business and develop a supportive tool in line with the co-creational approach of Living Labs. Data collected at our creative workshop reveals how women struggle in a toxic masculine environment, in which they both identify external and internal barriers and difficulties in defining ‘business success’. Our suggestion to support them is to invest in Living Lab based networking opportunities, role models, and to develop a tool that models the business journey.

Her Music Academia: A Public Scholarship Initiative

Abstract As a subfield of music theory scholarship, public music theory engages audiences outside of the academy. The onset of the internet has additionally provided new open-access media and sites for music theoretical inquiry. Two ways in which public music theory exists on the internet are in the form of podcasting and blogging. In this essay, I explain the reasons I started my podcast and blog (both titled Her Music Academia), the ways the work has taken shape over the years, and what I have learned so far. Through these projects, I seek to introduce the process of becoming a music theorist to a public audience, highlight my own experience as a Black woman in academia, and create a sense of community around music theory. I continue the practice of learning in public by documenting the development of my research and ideas about music, and I encourage my audience to similarly embark on their own process of learning about music theory. Ultimately, Her Music Academia challenges academic music theorists to reevaluate its definition of scholarship and to consider how these two opposing methods of performing scholarship differ in goals and outcomes.

Reflections on Mentoring

This reflective narrative explores the experiences of a mentoring group of three involved with the ASCILITE Women in Academic Leadership program (WiAL). It considers the difficulties and isolation which women in academe can face, specifically where their interests align with Technology Enhanced Learning. It demonstrates how support builds resilience to develop impact statements to enable recognition through promotion and awards. Through these accounts, the value of lived experience and shared interest underpins the success of the mentoring program and highlights how the lack of power structures can enhance mentoring outcomes.

Playing the Game Differently: How Women Leaders in Academia Are Challenging Neopatriarchy

AbstractDespite Australian and New Zealand Universities pledging to address gender inequities, the patriarchal history of universities continues to impact the careers of women in academia. Under-representation of women in senior leadership and a culture of masculinity can lead to a lack of resources for feminist leadership and a devaluing of women’s work. We investigate how women in academic leadership are playing the game differently, making strategic moves to navigate leadership in the neoliberal neopatriarchal academy. We explored the experiences of 22 women in academic leadership through online qualitative surveys and reflexive thematic analysis of the data, taking inspiration from Bourdieu’s work on habitus and doxa. Although women leaders were able to successfully make strategic moves to advance their careers, these were shaped by parenting status, race, culture, and age. The women’s leadership approaches were counter to the masculine doxa of the academic field, leading instead relationally. We do not suggest that there is a specific ‘female’ style of academic leadership, but that successful authentic leadership can be founded on a feminist ethics of care in contrast to neopatriarchy. Adoption of such approaches across the academy might unshackle academics across genders from their positioning in academic leadership hierarchies.

Cultural Collaborative Ways of Knowing, Doing, Valuing and Becoming: A ‘Pandheri Guff’ Inquiry of Nepali Women Scholars

In Nepal, women are facing challenges in academia due to gender biases and limited opportunities. This article explores the experiences of Nepali women scholars who are redefining traditional knowledge, which is typically confined to textbooks, notes, and lectures. These critical issues are often ignored in academic settings. However, women academicians can overcome these barriers by collaborating, reflecting on their experiences, and seeking innovative solutions. To this end, the authors introduce Pandheri Guff, a traditional Nepali method for discussing and addressing such issues. Subscribing Pandheri Guff as a method, the authors engaged in a cultural Nepali collaborative inquiry, combining their narratives to create meaning. Their virtual weekly meetings, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on reflections about class participation, assignments, and learning experiences over two months by documenting their insights in Google Docs. The analysis is categorized into four themes: believing, meditative, doubting, and dismantling ways of knowing. This method fosters a judgment-free environment for sharing experiences, enhancing their learning, and empowering them to transform themselves. This article argued that this cultural approach advances understanding of women’s knowledge acquisition and enhances higher education learning by providing a collaborative and reflective space to overcome gender biases and improve learning experiences

What Are the Differences in Perception of Gender Disparities in Academia? A Survey of Academics from Russia

This study examines the perception of gender issues in academia in the Russian context. Specifically, the paper aims to reveal the criteria due to which academics might perceive gender-related problems in academia in different ways. The research was conducted among 901 men and women academics with Russian affiliation. The survey was presented as a 20-item anonymous online questionnaire with five major blocks, covering up various gender-related topics. By surveying men and women academics from the Russian academic environment, it reveals that most academics, in their perception, had never experienced gender inequality in the current workplaces. However, for those with such experience, the share of all given gender disparities women academics has ever encountered during their academic career is higher compared to men. The most common gender disparities, namely low chances for career promotion and barriers from rising to senior-level positions reflect career promotion gaps relevant for both men and women academics. The results also demonstrate that gender inequality is mostly not considered as a problem of academic environment but rather a social issue. In particular, most men academics and, to a lesser extent, women academics strongly disagree with considering gender inequality as the academic problem. The paper provides an example for addressing gender disparities issues for men and women academics and assessing perception of gender inequality and, conversely, equality.

Assessing the Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of Women Faculty Members in PU Colleges of Kalaburagi District, Karnataka: A Gendered Perspective

This study explores the information needs and seeking behaviors of women faculty members working in pre-university (PU) colleges in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, India. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research investigates the primary sources of information, satisfaction levels with library services, and the impact of socio-demographic factors on information-seeking behaviors. The study reveals significant disparities in access to and use of digital resources, influenced by factors such as age, marital status, and educational background. The findings highlight the critical need for enhanced library services, tailored training programs, and policy interventions to support women faculty in their academic and research activities. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on gender and technology in educational settings, emphasizing the importance of equitable information access in promoting gender equality in STEM fields.

Parenthood premium but fatherhood super-premium in academic productivity? A matter of partner's employment

ABSTRACT While the discourse about work-family balance in academia (and elsewhere) is generally framed as a woman's issue, this study focuses on the association between childbirth and the scholarly productivity of both academic women and men. In particular, the authors examine whether the association between parenthood and scholarly productivity is contingent on gender and partner's employment status. Using German longitudinal data and addressing self-selection, results indicate the existence of a ‘parenthood premium’: scholarly productivity is higher for both fathers and mothers compared to their childless counterparts. Yet, academic fathers publish more than childless men and more than academic mothers, giving rise to a ‘fatherhood super-premium’. Additionally, the study reveals that the fatherhood super-premium is influenced by the employment status of the female partner, while this is not the case for academic mothers. Overall, the research highlights the importance of considering the division of labour within couples in understanding the gender gap in scholarly productivity and, ultimately, gender disparities in academia.

Beyond the academic imposter syndrome: A feminist relational discourse analysis of accounts of (un)belonging from UK working-class women academics

ABSTRACT Previous research utilised discourse analysis to explore institutional ideal worker discourse to find that it shapes (un)belonging and shores up an unequal and stratified academy via intersecting classed and gendered discourse. This paper develops this work by utilising Feminist Relational Discourse Analysis (FRDA) on interview data from 12, one-to-one semi-structured interviews with working-class women academics employed in UK Higher Education institutions. This analysis, first, identified a dominant discourse; ‘being a fish out of water’ that drew on a contemporary iteration of the ‘psy complex’ construction of the ‘imposter syndrome’ to obscure systems of power underpinned by gendered and classed portrayals of who embodies the ideal academic. Second, the analysis produced I Poems which uncovered hidden accounts of how this dominant discourse silences via a coupling with sufficient/deficient academic discourse to individualise – and make private – shameful and painful emotional experiences of unbelonging. Conversely, simultaneously voiced accounts attempted to resist and rally against individualised deficient constructions. This study evidences the utility of FRDA to uncover the unheard and silenced voiced accounts that are intimately connected to discursive systems of gendered and classed power, while illuminating counter-narratives that challenge individualised discourse of inequalities to claim rightful citizenship in the UK Academy.

Institutional and Socio-Cultural Factors that Influence the Wellbeing of Women Working in Academia in Arab Countries: A Scoping Review

Academic life in the present era is subject to several occupational stressors, including increased workloads, reduced research funding, tenuous career paths, and family-work conflicts. Such stressors affect academics’ quality of life, wellbeing, and job satisfaction, and women are particularly vulnerable. There is, however, a dearth of information on such issues in the Arab World. We conducted a scoping review to map the current body of knowledge related to the institutional and socio-cultural factors that influence the wellbeing status of women working in academia in Arab countries. Fourteen articles were included. Several challenges threatening women’s wellbeing in academia were identified including institutional factors (i.e., human resource policies and laws, workplace empowerment, and academic mentoring) and socio-cultural factors (i.e., work-life balance, culture and religion). Current human resources, policies, and labor laws do not adequately support maternal or complex family roles contributing to work-life imbalances and contribute to poor mental health outcomes for academic women working in academia in Arab countries. Although some of these challenges may stem from lingering cultural stereotypes about gender roles, this review highlights the need for professional development and mentoring programs for academic women in Arab countries, in addition to supportive institutional laws, policies, and resources for empowerment of women in academia.

Women academic leaders in Saudi universities: Educational and psychological vision

There is limited understanding of women's leadership roles in Saudi Arabian university education, leading to a gap in scholarly literature despite significant advancements made by Saudi women in this field. However, they encounter several obstacles when striving for leadership roles at universities. This study seeks to examine the state of women's academic leadership within Saudi universities from an educational and psychological perspective, pinpointing the key challenges they face in obtaining such positions. The findings reveal that women leaders face various challenges, with organizational obstacles being the most significant, receiving a high average score of 4. Additionally, cultural and social barriers scored an average of 3.51, also rated highly, followed by psychological barriers with an average score of 3.26, which received a medium rating. Participants suggested comprehensive reforms to mitigate these challenges, notably implementing Saudi Vision 2030 principles and initiatives, which advocate for women faculty members to take on leadership roles at universities. These insights could not only benefit Saudi Arabia but also the wider Arab Gulf region, the Middle East, and other areas with similar conditions.

Cervical cancer screening adoption behaviours among Nigerian women in academics: using a health belief model

BackgroundCervical Cancer is the commonest and one of the leading causes of death from cancer among women in developing countries. Screening has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality from the illness, yet its uptake is low. This study investigated the pattern of utilization and preferences relating to the adoption of cervical screening among female postgraduate students at the University of Ibadan.MethodologyThe study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving the use of a multi-stage sampling technique to recruit 372 women undergoing postgraduate studies (20–52 years with a mean age of 27.3 ± 5.4) at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A pretested semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection and the coded data were analyzed using SPSS (version 20).ResultsOnly 4.0% of the respondents had been screened for Cervical Cancer at the time of study while 86.3% expressed their desire to be screened if given the opportunity. Most participants showed a favourable perception with 70.4% disagreeing that cervical cancer is a mild disease and 50.5% agreeing that the benefits of cervical cancer screening outweigh the stress of the screening procedure. Female doctors (73.2%) topped the list of health professionals’ respondents who preferred to conduct the screening. A majority (70.7%) of the respondents preferred these screenings to be done during antenatal clinic visits. There is a significant association (p.value = 0.0007) between cervical cancer screening behaviors and sexual activity among women.ConclusionPoor utilization of Cervical cancer screening services is seen among Nigerian women undergoing postgraduate studies but a high willingness to utilize the services in the future with consideration to professionals delivering the service and specific locations where it can be obtained. The poor rate of cervical cancer screening from the study depicts the large extent to which cases of this cancer go without being detected till the advanced stages. Rolling out more screening strategies that will explore different service delivery points/preferences as highlighted in the study is needed for larger coverage.

Gender distributions in New Zealand universities: guilt in Brotopia

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explain gender imbalance by theorising how guilt arises as an externally imposed negative emotion that subsequently impairs women's performance in the accounting academia.Design/methodology/approachThe method involves an analysis of gender distributions at junior and senior levels in New Zealand universities in 2019 and 2024 and relevant case studies of junior academics using unstructured interviews.FindingsThis paper unpacks the nuances of gender imbalance in a “gender-neutral” subject and provides empirical evidence that many women academics may internalise a sense of externally imposed guilt for various reasons. Such feelings of guilt, where they are imposed by workplace expectations and social constructions, may make women more concessionary with regard to a greater teaching workload substituting for research expectations. The more prolonged-term effect on career prospects of such substitutions as practiced in New Zealand may account for the imbalance that exists and seemingly will continue to exist.Originality/valueThis paper sets out first to discover the gender balance in accounting in universities in New Zealand. It contributes to the literature on gender and accounting education in understanding how negative emotions are externally imposed and become career-negating obstacles for women in the accounting academic.

Championing Inclusivity: Underrepresentation of Women in African Academic Leadership and Scholarly Journal Management

Objectives – This study seeks to investigate the exclusion of women from the management of scholarly journals across East Swahili (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Anglo-West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia) by delving into the implications of marginalization. Furthermore, the study aims to illuminate the often-overlooked experiences of black women, whose narratives are frequently overshadowed by those of black men or subsumed within the context of white women. Methods – By employing empirical evidence from African Journals Online (AJO) and institutional journal data from countries in focus, this study examines the pervasive domination of men within scholarly journal management in East Swahili and Anglo-West Africa. Results – Findings reveal a widespread dominance of men in the management of scholarly journals in the targeted countries despite the considerable presence of women in academia. Conclusion – The underrepresentation of women in academic leadership positions carries significant consequences, including a lack of diversity in decision-making processes. Such homogeneity can perpetuate existing disparities and impede progress towards gender equality within academia. Furthermore, discussions concerning gender inequality in academia often neglect the experiences of black women.

Women academics' ambivalent experiences of singlehood and international mobility

This article explores the lived experiences of nine women scholars who are single, childfree and internationally mobile. Mobilising Laurent Berlant's work on ambivalence and ‘cruel optimism,’ we show how experiences of singlehood and academic international mobility are never only good or bad, but always both at the same time. Ambivalence emerges in the women's experiences because singlehood can facilitate academic careers by enabling high productivity and mobility, whereas mobility can inhibit finding committed relationships through an absence of stability and prevalent gendered expectations of women in heterosexual relationships. Most of the interviewed women hope for a life which has both careers, mobility and romantic relationships, however, the simultaneity of benefits and struggles associated with singlehood and a mobile academic life places them in an ambivalent situation that precludes the option of letting go of either of their affective attachments, namely, to gendered couple norms and the academic institution.

Examining career trajectories of Norwegian PhD recipients: slower progression for women academics but not a leaky pipeline

ABSTRACT We use longitudinal data for the entire population of Norwegian PhD recipients over five decades to examine why only one-third of full professors in Norway are women, despite gender balance among current PhDs. We find that 90% of the lower female representation is due to lower female proportions in earlier PhD cohorts, increasing sizes of cohorts, and decreasing overall rates of promotion, which together we call ‘compositional/historical factors’. We find that the remaining imbalance is not caused by women dropping out, but rather by 14–18% slower average promotion rates calculated using hazard analysis. However, on average, women eventually catch up with men after about 20 years, although this differs by field. A similar hazard analysis for the US shows that women doctorates are less likely than men to enter tenure-track academia although more likely to enter non-tenure-track academia. This leads to larger US gender differences in advancement to full professorships and no eventual convergence. We suggest possible reasons for the differences between Norway and the US.

Black women academics and intersectional erasure in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT Research on Black women academics’ experiences in the Netherlands is limited despite the growing population as well as public discussions about structural racism in academic institutions. Black women have navigated how to thrive from their own standpoints in the face of white supremacy, colonialism, and misogynoir, yet continue to face intersectional oppression and erasure in and outside of Dutch academia. Our qualitative analysis applies intersectionality methodology to better understand Black women academics’ lived experiences in the Netherlands. The data yielded from this study highlights four types of intersectional erasure: 1) Hyper Invisibility and Disposability of Black Femininity; 2) Hyper Visibility, Black Women Tropes and Respectability Politics; 3) Hypo Invisibility and Self Isolation as Preservation; and 4) Hypo Visibility, Black Mothering and Epistemic Violence. The findings from this study allow us to suggest several intersectional interventions to support Black women academic success in Dutch academia.

Understanding academic women’s silence in Poland: exploring with social cognitive theory

Understanding academic women’s silence in Poland: exploring with social cognitive theory