Peacemakers and Rabble Rousers: Women Leaders as Activists in Higher Education

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how women leaders work as activists for other women through their administrative positions within higher education. Overall, participants shared their complicated relationships with the words feminist and activist and described how they engage in social change for women and other underrepresented populations in individual, group, and community contexts. Suggestions to advance equity for women in higher education involve both short-term and long-term strategies—such as self-advocacy, intentional professional development programs, representation, and policy development.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The literature, participants, and findings in this study focus on the experiences of cisgender women, compared to cisgender men; thus, the use of the terms women/woman and men/man throughout the article refer to cisgender women and cisgender men or those assumed to identify that way.