Rowing against the tide. Gender policies in Mexican and Spanish universities

Abstract

Gender equality policies have been incorporated into higher education for a few decades. However, the results have not been as expected, as the main inequalities faced by women persist, such as vertical and horizontal segregation, discrimination and gender-based violence, as well as the sexual division of labor within and outside institutions. From a feminist institutionalism perspective, this qualitative research presents semi-structured interviews with key individuals at public universities in Mexico and Spain. The progress and resistance to the adoption and implementation of gender equality policies are analyzed in three dimensions: norms, structures, and equality plans. This study highlights the most recurrent forms of resistance —(lack of) political will and scarcity of resources— and the link between them as central obstacles to gender equality in universities.