There is a very popular saying in my country, “science is for a man, a woman’s place is at
home.” Many talented women have struggled for a doctoral degree and most of them could
not complete it because of one reason, a “violence rule of the main gatekeepers” of
academia who are inclined to preserve the ideals to authorize their positions.
As my research and teaching focus is gender, I always raise gender inequality problems in
my scientific works. I have some articles dealing with marginalization of women within
academia or slow inclusion of women into the National Academia of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, but the situation remains unchanged. I show in my research how key positions
are considered male-dominated in our academia and universities. Cultural factors within
academia are suggested as significant barriers, so if male and female applicants are under
evaluation for PhD degrees, male applicants are preferred.
Women encounter specific difficulties in trying getting PhD degrees or develop careers in
academia. The process of earning PhD demands very important sacrifices; forcing someone
to push forward, spend unlimited energy, make enduring efforts, and exclude private life
(taking into consideration the patriarchal society in Azerbaijan, men could marry at any age
without any problems, but even young women choose their partners for marriage from
among those men who offer to marry them).
My analysis in this field supports the assumption that academia is still male-dominated but
this dominance is seen as natural (The Republic of Azerbaijan Constitution forbids gender
inequality). This conception is open for construction and reconstruction in a continuing
process.