Segregarea de gen în mediul academic românesc: o analiză empirică a Universității Babeș-Bolyai

Abstract

The present study examines gender inequalities in academic leadership, institutional representation, and scientometric performance at Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB), one of the largest higher education institutions in Romania. Using a comprehensive database of 1,520 tenured academic staff for the period 2012–2022, the quantitative analysis combines ANOVA, Chi-square tests, and multiple linear regression to investigate the relationship between gender and key academic indicators.

The results reveal pronounced vertical segregation: although the overall gender distribution is nearly balanced (50.1% men, 49.9% women), women are significantly underrepresented in executive leadership positions (36.3%) and in higher academic ranks (35.9% full professors), while they predominate in lower-ranking positions (57.5% assistant lecturers). The scientometric analysis highlights significant differences in research impact (average H-index: 7.58 for men vs. 6.59 for women; p < 0.05). However, representation in the University Senate does not show significant gender disparities (p > 0.05), suggesting that collegial structures provide more equitable access. Multiple regression analysis indicates that academic rank is the main predictor of scientometric performance (R² = 0.224), raising questions about the direction of causality between performance and advancement. The study contributes to the understanding of the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon in the post-socialist context, demonstrating the persistence of institutional mechanisms of gender stratification despite formal equality policies.