A Feminist Lens on Gender Equality in High-Rank Research Positions at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Abstract

This case study of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico's oldest and largest university, examines the persistence of gender hierarchies in Mexican higher education. The chapter explores ways to address such hierarchies and contribute to women’s emancipation from a human rights perspective. The analysis delves into the presence and influence of women academics across career levels, fields of study, and access to higher wages in the University. It shows that, overall, the creation of universal laws that support gender equality has led to advances in parity among men and women academics. However, it also reveals that women still struggle to achieve high-rank research positions because persistent hierarchies and the glass ceiling impede women's achievements more often than those of their male colleagues. The first part of the chapter explains the positive changes towards gender equality in international law documents, which in turn influenced Mexican laws. It then builds on Nathalie Heinich’s theory on the visibility of women in academia to explain why women face a glass ceiling barrier in the higher echelons of research, knowledge production and leadership positions.