The Glass Ceiling in Professional Education: An Analysis of Female Underrepresentation in Management Positions at a Federal Institute

Abstract

The construction of academic careers for women suffers from a series of constraints introduced by gender conditionality. For women working in education, particularly in aspects of productivity and management, these constraints present challenges to be overcome in order to access institutional positions of power. Assigned to domestic spaces and tasks within the sexual division of labor, they struggle between domestic and professional duties, often facing double shifts. This social condition of distancing women from power spaces is reproduced within educational institutions. This research analyzes how this patriarchal structure operates within a Professional Education institution. To this end, it examines theoretical aspects concerning women, education, and domestic labor and conducts an analysis using secondary data from a Federal Institute. The data leads to the understanding that the glass ceiling remains firmly in place in professional education, hindering access to institutional power for women and Black individuals. Consequently, the study highlights the institutional need to consider the effectiveness of affirmative action in hiring staff and to develop affirmative policies that encourage and increase female participation in management positions.