Abstract
Business & Management (B&M) schools and the wider academic context have been characterized as based on a traditional, linear male model according to which academics focus on their career only, work full- time, and have no family responsibilities In line with the current AOM theme “Putting the Worker Front and Center”, this symposium brings together four papers that showcase theoretical and practical insights to achieve gender equality in higher education institutions. The symposium starts by providing a scoping review of gender bias in academia and goes beyond shedding light on barriers, to focus on showcasing effective actions taken to reach gender equality in academic institutions in Lebanon, and across a variety of European countries including Greece, Sweden, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, France, and Belgium. The takeaways of this symposium provide culturally diversified insights into the progress made towards achieving gender equality in academia, with reflections on both theoretical and practical implications on gender equality in academia.