Abstract This comprehensive review amalgamates research pertaining to gender inequality within the realm of higher education, emphasizing faculty representation, student enrollment, and academic performance; it seeks to elucidate the underlying causes, effects, and potential solutions to rectify enduring systemic disparities and the limitations imposed by current policies. The goal of this study was to objectively look at gender differences in different academic positions and fields, set standards for institutional regulations, find intersectional factors, break down cultural conventions, and evaluate how well different treatments work. A careful, organised look at a lot of worldwide research that used quantitative, qualitative, and hybrid methods was done, with a strong focus on intersectional frameworks and policy evaluations. The findings illuminate the persistent underrepresentation of women in senior faculty and leadership roles, revealing that hiring practices exert a more significant impact than attrition; enduring enrollment disparities within STEM disciplines are influenced by socio-cultural and caregiving dynamics; and academic performance benefits associated with the presence of female faculty persist despite the existence of hostile environments and structural biases. The concept of intersectionality shows how the disadvantages encountered by marginalised groups are much worse when they are combined, yet it is not always used consistently in research and policy. Evaluations of gender equality initiatives and quotas suggest modest advancements in representation, yet these efforts fall short of engendering substantial structural and cultural transformations, impeded by institutional resistance and the prevailing neoliberal market ideologies. These results show that gender imbalance in academia is complicated and that present efforts to fix it are not enough. This review accentuates the imperative for comprehensive, intersectional, and justice-oriented policies designed to dismantle systemic barriers and cultural norms in order to promote sustainable gender equity within higher education on a global scale.
Meda et al. (Fri,) studied this question.