Gender and Academic Career Advancement in Saudi Arabia: An In-depth Exploration of Women’s Lived Experiences

Abstract

The focus of this PhD thesis is on women academics in Saudi Arabia and their experiences in Saudi Higher Education Institutions. While much research attention has been devoted to women academics’ experiences in the Global North, there has been less consideration to women’s experiences in country contexts in the Middle East. This research not only contributes to this gap but critically examines the complex interplay of societal, cultural, organizational, and personal factors shaping women’s career progression, with particular attention to advancement into executive and managerial roles. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through face-to-face interviews and surveys with women academics across 11 Saudi universities. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were applied to explore the factors influencing women’s career trajectories. Drawing on the concept of gender regimes (Cohen et al., 2023), the study proposes a revised conceptual framework tailored to the Saudi context. By situating women’s career progression within the interconnections of societal, cultural, organizational, and personal factors, the framework provides new theoretical insights into how the Saudi academic environment and the wider Saudi gender regime shapes women’s experiences and opportunities in HEIs. The findings highlight multiple structural barriers to women’s advancement, particularly in mixed academic environments where male and female campuses are part of the same university yet remain physically segregated. Women reported slower career progression than comparable male colleagues and significantly lower prospects of promotion to executive or managerial positions. These findings underscore the profound influence of socio-cultural

norms, institutional structures, and gender segregation on women’s academic careers in Saudi Arabia. This study contributes to understanding the challenges facing Saudi academic women while providing an evidence base for reshaping the academic environment. Addressing entrenched gender segregation and structural inequalities is essential for advancing equality and promoting gender parity in Saudi higher education.