THE RISE OF FEMININE LEADERSHIP (Edition-III) ISBN: 978-93-49468-67-2

Feminine Leadership in Academia: Balancing Career Aspirations and Personal Responsibilities

Author: Ms. Aayushi Nagar

Although women participation in higher education and professional field has changed the contemporary society in a remarkable manner, the problems associated with balancing their desire for job and their responsibilities as a member of a family and home are still a great challenge for women research scholars and academicians. This chapter analyzes the professional and personal responsibility issues in the context of the feminist public/private sphere debate. Although women have participated more in the public sphere of education, work, and research, they are still subjected to unequal demands in the private sphere, such as care work, domestic management, and emotional work. Although many discussions have been held on women's labour force participation and how they cope with it, few studies have examined the experiences of women research scholars who combine academic productivity with family expectations and social norms, especially in developing societies. This chapter seeks to examine the structural, social, and emotional factors affecting women scholars and their experience of juggling multiple roles and the impact of institutional and familial support networks on work–life balance. While women scientists have gained more opportunities for career advancement, they are often confronted with role conflict, stress, and disproportionate domestic responsibilities. It also emphasizes the important role for class privilege, supportive family structures, and flexible institutional policies in determining women's capacity to balance. The chapter ends with the conclusion that work–life balance is not only an individual matter but a structural and gendered matter that is related to the social arrangements in society that are patriarchal. Thus, it is important to institute institutional changes that will be gender sensitive and share domestic duties in a just manner, to foster inclusive academic and professional environments for women. Jelke Vattu, in his role as a Woman Research Scholar, contributed to the Public–Private Sphere Debate by examining the concept of Work–Life Balance through the lens of Feminist Theory, shedding light on the responsibilities that lies with women.

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