ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the barriers and responsibilities that female academics face in their pursuit of career advancement, including two main areas that hinder women’s promotion. First, the persisting inequalities between female and male academics in terms of promotion, pay, mentorship and other opportunities. Second, the pattern by which female academics undertake extra responsibilities or service work, such as administrative activities or pastoral care, that is not typically valued for promotion. The chapter draws upon an attitudinal survey of academic and research staff and focus groups with male and female senior academics in the Technological University of Dublin, formerly the Dublin Institute of Technology, by examining academic perceptions of career barriers, needs and responsibilities. The research indicates significant gender differences, with female academics placing greater emphasis on the following perceived career barriers: personal ability and lack of mentorship; work-life balance and care responsibilities; gender discrimination, promotion and pay equality. To improve gender equality for academic staff, educational institutions need to implement leadership development and mentorship programmes and adopt a more transparent and fairer workload allocation that takes account of support and administrative responsibilities.
