Sexism among Ecuadorian female university professors in engineering courses

Abstract

For centuries, women have been relegated to a secondary role compared to men in relation to work outside the home. Although recent decades have seen increased female participation in education and professional fields, women continue to face multiple barriers to accessing and achieving success in the labor market. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to analyze the difficulties experienced by women university professors in attaining and sustaining academic positions in fields traditionally associated with and dominated by men, such as engineering and technical disciplines. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 women professors teaching in engineering programs at the Technical University of Ambato, located in the central Ecuadorian highlands. The interview protocol addressed issues related to professional development and work–family balance. The results indicate that participants experienced discrimination and prejudice, as well as structural barriers such as glass ceilings and sticky floors that limited their career advancement. Furthermore, regarding work–family balance, women continue to perform a double workload, as their caregiving role has remained largely unchanged. The study concludes that early and sustained measures are required to enable women to pursue university teaching careers free from discrimination, supported by labor equality and work–family reconciliation policies.