A kutatónők helyzete és támogatási lehetőségei hazai és nemzetközi jó gyakorlatok alapján

Female researchers face several challenges in their careers, and their situation is specific both in Hungary and abroad. At undergraduate level (depending on the discipline), the gender distribution is still typically balanced, but in teaching and research positions, particularly as they progress, the over-representation of men becomes more significant. In this paper, we present the specific situation of women researchers, their career path characteristics, the problems they face and the factors that hinder their success based on previous research findings and literature review. Women researchers often report facing discrimination and gender bias in their careers. The glass ceiling phenomenon is also evident, with a significantly lower proportion of women in senior academic positions compared to men. Reasons for this include more difficult access to professional networks, lack of mentoring and gender stereotypes. Career breaks, such as having children, also have a significant impact on women researchers’ careers. Often, these breaks slow down or prevent career progression, as they interrupt the continuity of research activity, as reflected in citations, publication output and the distribution of successful grant applications. We conclude the paper with some international good practices and some suggestions.