ABSTRACT
Academia for many women is more than a job or profession; put simply, it is a passion. The politics of being a woman in academia requires perseverance. Perseverance is needed to overcome angst resulting from the substantial barriers to advancement and critical thought. Being an intellectual, and more importantly a woman, in this modern neoliberal era is extremely challenging and fraught with conflict brought about by gendered constructions, oppression and exclusion. At the heart of academe is engaging in free thought, building intellectual knowledge and transforming society. That was the start of my journey into academe. Yet in my over ten years of being an academic, I have seen firsthand the negative influence of creeping neoliberalism, which has done little to support progressive thought, critical thinking and women’s academic leadership. Dominant discourses associated with neoliberalism, such as rational thought, performance measures, accountability, efficiencies and individualism, become divisive tools that rupture collective solidarity and critical thought and in turn impact on the lived experience of women in academia. In the spirit of solidarity, this chapter calls for challenging the myths that prevent us as women from transforming academia into a noble place of free thought, critical thinking and leadership.
