Domínguez García, Andrea, Diez Ros, Rocío
Gender Barriers in Academia: Perceptions of Inequality in Professional Development among Female Academics in the Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, Spain
Dominguez A, Diez R. Gender Barriers in Academia: Perceptions of Inequality in Professional Development among Female Academics in the Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, Spain. Societies. 2022; 12(6):175. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060175
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/129976
DOI: 10.3390/soc12060175
ISSN: 2075-4698
Abstract: 
Spanish universities have been implementing gender equality policies for over a decade. The research presented here aims to determine the barriers and challenges perceived by female academics in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alicante. The study used a seven-point Likert-type scale survey consisting of 10 items, which were validated by specialists from different universities. One of the key findings was that often barriers have ceased to be seen as such and are understood instead as a normalized reality. Nevertheless, participants stress that women face greater barriers than men when it comes to reaching top-level positions; highlighting issues such as a lack of mentorship, delayed motherhood, experiencing sexist behavior and comments from male colleagues; and a lack of consensus around measures, such as reconciling work–life balance, as a means of largely eliminating the barriers they face in the university.
Keywords:Gender differentials in academia, Gender equality, Barriers, Education, University
MDPI
info:eu-repo/semantics/article