Gender Equality Barriers in Agriculture and Life Sciences in Central European Universities

Veronika Paksi, Katalin Tardos, Judit Takács, Csilla Judit Suhajda, Jana Mazancová, Štefan Bojnec and Julianna Kobolák
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Veronika Paksi: HUN‐REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary / University of Szeged, Hungary
Katalin Tardos: HUN‐REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary / International Business School, Hungary
Judit Takács: HUN‐REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary
Csilla Judit Suhajda: Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary
Jana Mazancová: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czechia
Štefan Bojnec: University of Primorska, Slovenia
Julianna Kobolák: Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary

Social Inclusion, 2025, vol. 13

Abstract: The European Union aims to foster research excellence, among others, by increasing gender equality (GE) in the European research area. The mandatory introduction of gender equality plans (GEP) mobilised universities to assess, target, and monitor GE in different fields of science. A wide range of barriers have been explored in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), characterised by the low participation of women. However, significant obstacles to GE can emerge in relatively more gender‐balanced and, therefore, rarely studied fields, such as agriculture and life sciences (ALS). Experiences can differ in Central and Eastern European countries, characterised by rather traditional gender and family norms. This study explores different stakeholders’ perceptions of the main barriers of GE, with particular attention to ALS. We conducted nine focus groups (82 participants in total) with middle management, academic staff, and students from Czech, Hungarian, and Slovenian universities, aiming to contribute to the revision of their first GEP. Discussions were centred on recruitment, leadership positions, work–life balance, gender‐based violence, sexual harassment, organisational culture, integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching, and institutionalisation of GEPs. Findings revealed that women in ALS face partly similar gender‐based obstacles to their counterparts in less gender‐balanced fields—perceptions of education and career choices, work–life imbalance, and exclusion by recruitment and promotion practices—and also additional ALS‐related challenges of laboratory and fieldwork. Findings highlight the need for institutions to carefully address these areas in their state‐of‐the‐art assessments and develop sector‐specific, tailor‐made GEPs.

Keywords: academia and higher education; agriculture and life sciences; barriers; Central and Eastern Europe; gender equality; Gender Equality Plans; inclusion of women; stakeholders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:10086

DOI: 10.17645/si.10086

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