
2025, January 20
Share this articleDespite the adoption of international gender policies, universities continue to perpetuate patriarchal gender norms.
This conclusion was drawn by the authors of the article "Higher Education Leadership Agency in Mainstreaming Gender Equality: Insights from Universities in Kazakhstan," published in the academic journal Gender, Work and Organization, one of the top 1% journals in the field of gender studies.
The study was conducted by a group of researchers, including Assistant Professor of the NU Graduate School of Education Zumrad Kataeva, NU Professor Naureen Durrani, and researchers Dr. Aray Rakhimzhanova, and Dr. Svetlana Shakirova. The research was part of the Nazarbayev University Collaborative Research Program (CRP) in partnership with the Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University.
The researchers interviewed 13 leaders across 10 universities to analyze how they perceive the relationship between gender and education and their potential role in advancing gender equality. Using Judith Butler’s theory as a framework, the study found that senior leaders often overlook structural or institutional gender issues, attributing existing gender inequalities to cultural norms that limit their agency. While these leaders recognize the role of higher education in promoting gender equality, they view gender challenges as immovable, which hinders the effective implementation of gender-sensitive approaches in universities across the post-Soviet space and beyond.
Moreover, the lack of adequate gender education often leaves leaders ill-equipped to challenge existing discriminatory norms, complicating efforts to foster equality in academia, the authors concluded.