Opportunities and Challenges of women academics of Samtse College of Education

Abstract

Employing a narrative approach, the aim of this study was to contribute to an understanding of how women academics experience career success and challenges, what factors impact success, and how their choices and challenges impact on their career advancement. To investigate the experiences of women academics, a thematic analysis was used in the analyses of six audio-recorded interviews from six women academics consisting of early, mixed and experienced careers in one higher education institute. The findings disclose that women's academic experiences of success were mostly attributed to both hard work and karma (past deeds), and challenges were mostly related to balancing their personal and professional responsibilities. However, the study also reveals that women academics manage their challenges by sharing, staying emotionally stable, and being strictly professional. The findings also indicated that certain religious and spiritual beliefs affect their decision; for example, the adoption of particular practices influence their decision in terms of availing opportunities or overcoming obstacles.