Gendered Cultures, Under-Representation, and the Career Challenges of Women Academics in a South African University

Abstract

The current study examines how gendered practices in a university in South Africa constrain the career progression of women academics. Drawing on feminist institutionalism, interview data were gathered and analysed from a sample of 20 men and women academics. The study revealed that gendered practices that constrain the career progression of women academics include weak academic nurturing culture, weak collegial relationships and networks among women academics, and preferences for men academics in leadership positions. The findings also revealed that while the women academics indicated that high academic workload, family responsibilities, and unfavourable promotion criteria constrain their career progression, some men participants believed that earmark scholarships and targeted mentoring arrangements for women could create a new class of elites. The study concludes by discussing the implications of the findings in relation to policy, practice, and future research.