Navigating the river: Experiences of women academic leaders in Vietnam

Abstract

Gender inequities in leadership positions in academia persist globally. However, there are significant variations depending on country contexts, and devising strategies to overcome these will require a thorough understanding of the country-specific barriers. While the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions has become a burgeoning field of inquiry in recent years, few studies have been conducted to investigate this problem in Vietnam. This qualitative research uses photo elicitation interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to bridge this gap. It examines six Vietnamese women’s lived experiences as academic leaders and argues that by analysing the metaphors they use, we can extend our understanding of the issues academic women face. In Vietnam, the metaphor of a river that constantly changes represents the careers of women in academia. The study highlights the need to equalise and progressively introduce developmental opportunities to set Vietnamese women up for success in academic leadership. JEL Classification: i2i23