Underrepresentation of women at academic excellence and position of power: role of harassment and glass ceiling

Abstract

The study intends to comprehend the underrepresentation of women on positions of power and academic excellence in academia. The study explained the role of exploitation and harassment, which might hinder, when women were trying to climb to top hierarchical position. The majority of women supervised by male heads, sexual harassment could be used as a glass ceiling to hamper women to reach top hierarchal level. The majority participants were working on lower academic and administrative hierarchy; they were experiencing harassment throughout the hierarchical level. Similarly, they considered that harassment could contribute to the underrepresentation of women at academic excellence and a position of power.