The Wiley Handbook of Gender Equity in Higher Education

2Women's Leadership in Higher Education: Addressing Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors

Jolyn E. Dahlvig and Karen A. Longman

With very few exceptions worldwide, scholars have observed that patriarchal systems have influenced – and continue to influence – issues of access and equity in all spheres of life, including the workplace environment. Three decades ago, for example, Miller (1986) described societal problems rooted in perceptions of domination and subordination that are often gender‐related, noting: “At the level of humanity in general, we have seen massive problems around a great variety of differences. But the most basic difference is the one between women and men … in most instances of difference there is also a factor of inequality … fundamentally of status and power” (p. 3). More recently, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's (2014) book A Call for Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power summarized his reflections on the problems facing the world, having visited 145 countries. Identifying what he termed “the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge” (p. 3), President Carter described marginalization, injustice, and violence against women, often rooted in misinterpretations of the world's religions to represent maleness as being superior to femaleness.

In fact, the historic and cultural foundation of power or supremacy being legitimately the domain of men permeates all areas of life in all corners of the world. While cultural assumptions can be difficult ...