Female Role Models in Higher Education Around the Globe Motivators, Challenges, Gaps and Barriers

The achievements of women in organisational life are horribly under-reported. This book explores the work of women in academic life focussing on both their successes and the challenges they face. The endeavor to work towards the achievement of gender equality is a critical and global goal emphasized by the United Nations and governments around the globe. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 agenda (United Nations, 2025) specifies gender equality as a driver of development progress, recognizing that the potential of women has not been fully realized, owing to, inter alia, persistent social, economic and political inequalities. The motivation to develop this book stems from a growing recognition of the need for gender equality and inclusion in academia, as well as the personal experiences of female academics and scholars. The book considers a wide spectrum on the topics of gender equality and female role models in higher education, particularly in STEM. It examines cases and observations from different geographical areas and contexts, including Germany, Global South, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Türkiye, Spain, Syria, the UK, and the US. The book's greater contribution is its ability to inspect different facets and experiences around the globe drawing on the subject of female role models in academia. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the success of women in the academic world.