Literature review published on the wellbeing and mobility of female doctorate holders

An Open University led research review has identified inequity during the early career period for female doctoral graduates inside and outside academia. The review also shows the association of this inequity with imbalances in career mobility patterns, which are directly connected with their personal lives. The evidence found from research conducted internationally across 1980 – 2020 suggests that women's health and wellbeing is mostly negatively impacted by these circumstances, and this may be contributing to women leaving academia or employment.

The research review, carried out by Dr Inma Alvarez, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies, Dr Clare Horáčková, Associate Lecturer, and Dr Jitka Vseteckova, Senior Lecturer, was funded internally by The Open University (OU)’s Praxis Centre for Scholarship and Innovation in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. In the review, researchers conceptualised the term ‘mobility’ as multidimensional and referring to career progression, geographical mobility, disciplinary mobility (across disciplines), and sectorial mobility (across sectors). They then looked at each of these dimensions and the extent to which they are linked to the health and wellbeing of female doctorate holders.

Dr Alvarez said, “Doing this review we found that the mobility of female doctorate holders with partners and families was impacted by both constraining institutional factors and family and caring responsibilities. The research evidence during those four decades and across disciplines shows that women were sacrificing mobility in their careers for their partners’ career mobility impacting on their own career progression and levels of satisfaction regarding their work/life balance.”

In addition to providing a better understanding of the experience of these women, the review also suggested some improvements and recommendations at institutional level, and the need to continue challenging perceptions of gender roles and responsibilities more generally. The research team will work internally at the OU to consider interventions that can be implemented successfully to support female doctorate holders' mobility opportunities and mitigate these negative effects on their early careers. It is also hoped that the published review will encourage other Higher Education Institutions to reflect on the role played by gendered arrangements and structures and continue working towards greater equity in the sector.