Women’s scarcity in academic governance. Gendered identity or gendered processes?

Abstract

This article contributes to the empirical evidence for women’s scarcity in academic governance. The study evaluates to what extend women lean towards non-management careers and dismiss opportunities to attain executive roles in Colombian public universities, as well as the support received when they break the paradigm. The purpose was to determine whether gendered practices are ingrained in the designation process or whether women’s scarcity is the outcome of individual attributes/choices and collective perceptions of inadequacy. Data was collected from universities’ proceedings, opinion polls of rectors’ designations, and candidates’ curricula. Findings show low female candidacy rate but high public support for female candidates to the rector’s seat among all universities examined. Also, curricula’s in-depth analyses display women’s preference for male-dominated careers and analogous academic/administrative experience to that of male candidates. Hence, the results challenge explanations presented by human capital and congruity prejudice theories, while leaning towards gendered processes and identities.