Abstract

The study “Women in Indian Academia: Resilience, Representation, and Reform” investigates the lived experiences of women faculty in Indian higher education through a phenomenological lens. Despite notable progress in women’s enrolment approaching parity with men gender equity in academic leadership and decision-making remains elusive. Drawing upon semi-structured interviews with women academicians across universities in Lucknow, the research identifies three central themes: Representation, Resilience, and Reform. Findings reveal that representation in academia continues to be shaped by persistent gender stereotypes and sociocultural expectations that confine women to caregiving roles and restrict their professional advancement. Resilience emerges as a dynamic construct encompassing personal agency, emotional endurance, and reliance on familial and institutional support systems that enable women to persist despite systemic challenges. Reform, in contrast, underscores the necessity of institutional interventions gender-sensitive policies, infrastructural support, equitable access to research resources, and leadership pathways to dismantle structural barriers and promote inclusive academic environments. The study demonstrates that while individual resilience fosters women’s perseverance, sustainable gender equity requires structural transformation and cultural change within academic institutions. It contributes to feminist scholarship by cantering women’s voices and highlighting the intersectional realities shaped by gender, class, and institutional hierarchies. By advocating for reforms grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and accountability, the research offers a roadmap for higher education institutions to advance from numerical representation toward genuine empowerment, thereby enriching the academic landscape and fostering social transformation