THE POSITION OF WOMEN ACADEMICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UKRAINE

In the 152 Ukrainian universities, colleges, and other varieties of higher education institutions, women hold positions in large numbers at only the lowest levels of the academic hierarchy and in only certain disciplines, like those of the humanities, in which in some cases women hold the majority of staff positions, even if invariably the heads of such chairs are men. In the same vein, not a single Ukrainian institution of higher education is headed by a woman, nor does Kiev State University, the principal Ukrainian university, have a female pro‐ or deputy rector or a female dean. Part of the problem stems from the fact that there is little mass realization on the part of women academics in the Ukraine that they are objects of discrimination. Another aspect of the problem is the small number of women who earn the doctor of sciences degree, the prerequisite for a senior administrative position. Finally, there are structural problems such as the diminution in the number of openings for teachers of the Russian language, an area where women are concentrated. The solutions called for include the creation of international exchange programmes, particularly for teachers of languages, and affirmative action programmes for women in all academic domains.