Good news and bad news about the role of women in academia!

Evaluating the role of women in academic life in Türkiye , Altınbaş University Psychology Department Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Dilek Şirvanlı Özen said, “We see that women are becoming more visible in academia, which is a pleasing development for all of us. However, when we look at the statistics, we see that although women have a strong start in academia, unfortunately, their number decreases as they rise.”

Within the scope of March 8 International Women's Day, Prof. Dr. Şirvanlı examined the situation of women who prefer an academic career in our country from a different perspective and said that women are becoming more visible in academia. Prof. Dr. Şirvanlı said, “The proportion of female students in university ranks in Türkiye has increased to 51.7%. The rate of female academics surpassed the European and OECD average with 46.4%. Today, there are more women teaching, conducting research and shaping academia than ever before. This is a pleasing development for all of us!”

The picture is not so “rosy”!

Prof. Dr. Şirvanlı stated that despite the rosy picture painted by women who made a 'strong start' in academia, there are problems regarding the continuation of their careers and said, “Although women academics make a strong start in academia, their number decreases as they rise. The rate of women in the research assistant position, which is the first step of the academic journey, is 53.8%. However, this rate drops to 47.4% in doctoral faculty membership, 41.8% in associate professorship and 34.3% in professorship. This clearly shows that 'today's female research assistant' cannot become 'tomorrow's female professor'. In other words, while women academics can progress rapidly up to a certain point, after a certain point, the system puts invisible obstacles in front of them.”

What is happening in senior management?

Prof. Dr. Şirvanlı pointed out that the picture becomes even more thought-provoking when we look at academic decision-making mechanisms such as deanships, rectorates and university administrations, and continued her words as follows:

“Only 18% of deans and 8% of rectors in universities are women. It is a natural expectation that women, who have made such a strong entry into academia, should take more place in management positions as they deserve. The situation is no different at the highest levels of academia. Only 3 out of 19 members of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and only 1 out of 11 members of the Board of Directors of the Interuniversity Council (ÜAK) are women. Although women academics have a strong presence in all areas of academia, they are still underrepresented in decision-making processes”.

A good start, but is it enough?

Adding that the increase in the number of women academics is promising for the future, Prof. Dr. Dilek Şirvanlı Özen said, “However, it is not enough just to exist in academia; the decrease in the number of women as the title increases should not be ignored. The glass ceiling, which continues to exist at the social level, constitutes a significant obstacle in the promotion processes of female academics, and this situation directly affects not only individual careers but also the future of academia and science. True academic equality should be measured not only in numbers but also in opportunities. For the advancement of academia, a fair system must be built where women academics can overcome the invisible obstacles in front of them.”