Barriers to Success for Women in Academic Life: Perceptions of Participants in a Colleague Pairing Program

The purpose of this study is to explore empirically the perceptions of senior and junior female faculty members regarding the barriers to success experienced early in the academic career. Twenty‐two pairs of women faculty participated in colleague pairing as part of a mentoring initiative in a faculty development program. A factor analysis of the responses yielded the following three areas of concern: roles and responsibilities, sense of fit and personal security. We analyse the differences between senior and junior women as well as differences before and after participation in the program. Implications of these perceptions for the ability of female faculty members to help themselves and one another succeed professionally in their academic careers are discussed.