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Unlike liberal feminism, which critiques how liberal democracies exclude women on numerous fronts, neoliberal feminism denies gender differences even as it calls for women to craft their own work-family balance. Drawing upon ethnographic data gathered from professional women in Beijing, this paper argues that these women expend considerable emotional labor to suppress negative emotions and keep their jobs. In doing so, they embody “emergent femininity,” a local expression of neoliberal feminism centered on self-confidence, a willingness to articulate and satisfy personal desires, and heavy use of social media. Yet, pro-work attitudes affect these professional women’s family lives. However, insofar as emergent femininity and neoliberal feminism focus only on individual accomplishments, they cannot provide systemic betterment for women, regardless of personal achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic combination of an increasingly progressive gender revolution in modern Asia and cultural characteristics that include the hierarchisation of gender, especially in East Asia, has the potential to shed valuable light on women’s search for gender equality and their well-being. This study of three East Asian (South Korea, Taiwan, Japan) and five Southeast Asian societies (Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, total n = 8,022) examined the desire for more gender egalitarianism amongst professional women in Asia, set against the reality of persisting gendered practices at the intersection of work and family. Findings show that a mismatch between egalitarian gender ideology and traditional practice around household labour has deleterious effects on the subjective well-being (happiness and life satisfaction), especially of professional women in South Korea. That the mismatch is most clearly seen in South Korea (and, to a lesser but still apparent degree, in Japan, Taiwan or any of the Southeast Asian societies), suggests a complex picture of unequal and situationally unique gender relations within East Asia as well as across East and Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long years of school/training have shown to be associated with infertility and pregnancy complications. Rates of infertility and pregnancy complications were compared among women in demanding professional careers to better understand career differences impacting family planning. Methods: Inclusion criteria : English-speaking, childbearing professional women in surgery, medicine, law, and engineering. Exclusion criteria: men and women not in professional careers mentioned and non-childbearing women. Male-dominated fields identified to select non-medical female professionals. Top medical, law, and engineering schools' female faculty were surveyed from October 2022 to December 2022. Descriptive analysis and chi-squared tests were performed. Results: 2302 surveys were distributed and 268 responses were obtained (11.6%): 121 non-surgeon physicians, 120 lawyers/other doctorate degree holders, and 27 other/unknown. Data analysis included prior study's surgeon data. The median age (IQR = 25%, 75%) of the surgeons was 40y (36,45), non-surgeon physicians 43y (37,50), and law/other doctorates 38y (35,46). Delayed childbearing was observed in 65.0% surgeons, 66.1% non-surgeon physicians, and 57.5% law/other doctorates (P <.001). Pregnancy loss <10wks was observed in 35.3% surgeons, 33.9% non-surgeon physicians, and 30.8% law/other doctorates (P <.001). Infertility testing was performed in 43.0% non-surgeon physicians and 34.2% law/other doctorates (P <.001). Assisted reproductive technology was utilized by 24.9% surgeons, 43.0% non-surgeon physicians, and 21.7% law/other doctorates (P <.001). Discussion: Surgeons/physicians suffer more childbearing complications than other professional women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research addresses the problem of violence against women within couple relationships. In this sense, the general objective was formulated: to characterize the manifestations of violence against professional women with partners in a sample of office nro. 15 of the Municipality of Guanajay. The research is supported by a quantitative-qualitative, descriptive cross-sectional methodology. The selected sample of 30 professional women between 30 and 45 years old, non-probabilistic, made up of typical subjects. Regarding the methods and techniques used, there are: the semi-structured interview, the questionnaire for women, the questionnaire on domestic violence, and group dynamics. All these tools made it possible to provide answers to the different proposed objectives. The results point to the presence of both psychological and physical violence. Other types of violence such as economic and sexual violence appear in the study but are not recognized by women. The presence of emotional social support networks was confirmed. All of this makes it possible to point out as recommendations the need to work on family dynamics, changing attitudes, as well as the implementation of educational activities within the couple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the late Qing and Republican era of China, among the few female scholars from Macau, Sin Yuk-ching (Xian Yuqing 冼玉清, 1895-1965), or more commonly known as the “Lingnan talented woman” 嶺 南才女, was the most successful active female scholar and classical poet within the Lingnan male literati community. She was also the first to compile a bibliography of women’s works in the history of Lingnan and the pioneer of the academic lineage of women’s studies in Guangdong. Throughout her life, Sin Yuk-ching moved between Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangdong, and her Lingnan studies combined the Chinese cultures from the three regions as well as the “palimpsest horizons” formed by Portuguese and British colonial experiences. From the Ming dynasty onwards, Macau had become a “southern paradise” 南天樂土 and frequently interacted with the Lingnan cultural community. On one hand, it was seen as a peripheral area to the Empire, but on the other, was a base from which China imported Western culture. Due to its immigration society and colonial history, the cultural circle of Macau not only ushered in talents from Mainland China, but also had some of its scholars move to different places such as Guangdong and Hong Kong, a trend which helped to develop the Lingnan academic style. Among them, Sin Yuk-ching was one of the first scholars to discuss the importance of Macao in modern Chinese history, and she worked tirelessly to uncover people and cultures at different margins within Lingnan literature. The present paper highlights Sin’s “self-awareness of multiple margins,” including those of Lingnan in relation to the cultural centers in the north, of Macau and Hong Kong within Lingnan studies, and of women in the Republic of China as she placed herself in the center of the intellectual field from the margin. Furthermore, this study analyzes and interprets the new Cantonese education Sin had received in Macau during the late Qing and Republican era , how she brought a Macau experience back to Guangdong cultural circles by constructing Lingnan literary and historical studies in times of turmoil, and finally, how she demonstrated nationalism through historical writings in Hong Kong during the Second Sino-Japanese War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereotypes have important social consequences, such as promoting female discrimination in the workplace, which depends on how women are categorized. Extending prior work, here we analyze how two important female subgroups, women who are categorized as professional or sexy women, are evaluated on key dimensions of stereotype content (morality, sociability, and competence), positive and negative emotions, and facilitation behavioral tendencies (active and passive). To this end, we adapted a previous scale of facilitation tendencies to the working environment. Furthermore, we aim to explore the mechanism involved in carrying out helping behaviors towards each subgroup of women in the workplace. In order to fulfill these goals, 201 participants (M age = 28.88, SD = 12.25; 66.2% women) were randomly assigned to evaluate a woman categorized as either sexy or professional on the mentioned variables. Results show that women categorized as sexy are devalued compared to those categorized as professionals. We also found that competence has a driving role in predicting more active facilitation tendencies towards a woman categorized as professional than a woman categorized as sexy via positive emotions. These findings have implications for the career development of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on an in-depth case study at a large nonprofit organization, we find, in line with previous scholarship, that women professionals continue to face biased expectations at work and at home. We leverage data from interviews and participant observation to identify a new strategy that women use to navigate professional constraints created by the second shift and workplace double binds: “intentional invisibility.” Intentional invisibility refers to a set of risk-averse, conflict-avoidant strategies that women professionals in our study employ to feel authentic, manage competing expectations in the office, and balance work and familial responsibilities. We find women across the organization reporting intentionally remaining behind the scenes in attempts to avoid backlash and maintain a professional status quo. While intentional invisibility allows women to successfully navigate gender unequal professional and personal landscapes, it could simultaneously present an additional challenge to career advancement.

This article introduces a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews to explore the barriers and resources of professional women to attain work-life balance (WLB) in the context of mainland China. Interviews were conducted with full-time employed women who had received higher education and possessed professional qualifications (N = 20). The findings reveal underlying factors in work and non-work domains which influence the achievement of work-life balance among Chinese professional women. Participants were found to perceive and attain their work-life balance differently according to their personal traits. The findings also highlight social and family support resources for Chinese professional women from the perspective of Confucianism. This study contributes to current knowledge on work and life issues through the lens of professional women's work-life balance perceptions and experiences in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surpassing expectations, the success of the teal independents at the 2022 federal election marked a turning point in Australian democracy, long dominated by the two major parties. The ‘teal independents’ is the name given to community independents who had received support from the Climate 200 group and ran on a platform of climate action, gender equity, and democratic integrity. Most were professional, ‘no-nonsense’ women with successful careers, and their risky switch to politics spoke to their narrative of the urgency on these issues. This article considers the political and social context that led to the teals’ success and their likely impact on Australian politics. The Coalition’s conservative policies left many moderate voters unrepresented, creating a political space for the teal candidates. Now, six historically Liberal electorates are represented by teal independents, and the movement is emboldened. Although the teals do not hold the balance of power in the 47th parliament, they might nevertheless influence policy and the culture of parliament. They pose an ongoing electoral threat to both major parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the shift of social interaction to online venues, do women still conform to existing gender norms? This article examines the online performance of professional women in urban China and their interactions with workplace colleagues on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media app that is an important venue for workplace interaction. As interviews showed, workplace interactions on WeChat perpetuated traditional gender norms of hegemonic masculinity, and professional women accommodated to those existing gender norms by using particular "personas." Three major personas were identified: one that emphasized professional identity and downplayed gender identity; another that accentuated femininity and downplayed professional identity; and a third that performed femininity to please male workplace supervisors by confirming their masculinity. Persona is used as an analytical term to capture the WeChat activities of these professional women because, compared to online self-presentation, the persona represented a strategic conformity to existing norms and the women distanced themselves from their assumed personas. The use of social media, therefore, reproduced and reinforced conformity to existing gender norms because the online gendered persona constituted a comprehensive and enduring constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriage is the oldest and widely accepted institution in the world, but new normal of the modern era influenced this institution in a very adequate way. It is commonly observed that financially independent women are avoiding to bound themselves in the rope of marriage. This qualitative study is designed to explore this shift in usual pattern of society. The nine (disinclined to marry) professional (doing some job) women were recruited in this study; their ages were between 25 to 35 years and they were purposefully inducted in the study. The predominant aim of the study encouraged us to go for telephonic interviews that lasted from 20-30 minutes. Before starting the data collection, a formal protocol of study was approved from the departmental research committee. The data were audio-tapped and transcribed by three veterans of qualitative research; memos were also incorporated along with the data. Content Analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data through the lens of Rubin (2021). None of the authors of this research have anti-feministic reflexive orientation that may cause any inclination towards some specific outcomes. This study has been taken care the rigor criteria given by Tobin and Bagley (2004). The findings exhibit that the burden of responsibility, sacrificing career, mistrust in men, financial dependency, compromised decisions for self, letting go of freedom and autonomy were the main factors that were the reason behind compelling a lady not to marry. Findings of this study make us able to see the real picture of the issue that was under the carpet otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban spaces in China have traditionally been marked by hetero-patriarchy, making them key sites for exploring gendered power relations. Reflecting on the growing importance of companion animals, this study investigates the roles that these animals now play in the lives of unmarried women in urban China. Using transspecies urban theory to examine interview data gathered primarily from Guangzhou, we draw three conclusions. Firstly, as material conditions increasingly define pet keeping, companion animals have become both a class symbol and a safe refuge from the stressful demands of working life. Secondly, as professional Chinese women construct positive intimate relationships with their companions to preserve their autonomy as persons at work, they increasingly turn their backs on traditional marriage and family in an instantiation of 'emergent femininity'. Thirdly, pets offer a new venue of online sociality for their owners. By centring women in Chinese urban studies, we argue that companion animals co-construct the living conditions of their urban, female, middle-class owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the narratives of a group of Japanese women who, to escape gender discrimination in regular employment, deploy their linguistic expertise in temporary employment as interpreters. Building on research that highlights women's investment dynamics into languages as an organising construct for their professional growth, this article argues that a category of Japanese women are increasingly turning to the 'foreign option' to mark their presence in the labour market for linguistic services as temporary workers, in a feminised industry where they feel gender equity is secured. Drawing upon in-depth interviews, this article uses the profession of interpreting as a key case for a micro-level ethnographic understanding of a temporary form of skilled linguistic work and women's aspirations. Adopting a critical approach to linguistic instrumentalism, it contributes to research by examining a small but ambitious segment of the Japanese female labour force, who – by mobilising rare communication skills – constructs an emancipatory turn from gender-stratified corporate structures. The study finds that interpreting, and the ethos of linguistic instrumentalism it carries, promises to informants a work–life balance and career growth. However, findings also show that informants' engagement with interpreting is not immune from gender stereotypes and occupational segregation, and thus remains a 'professional chimera'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation and research purpose: There is a need to explore the role of maternity coaching in supporting and retaining professional women in South African organisations. Therefore, this study investigated the experiences of professional women during their maternity transition into working mothers and explored how maternity coaching can be used as a strategic intervention to support these women. Research design, approach and methodology: A qualitative inductive methodological approach was followed to gain an in-depth understanding of maternity coaching. The research strategy was cross-sectional and multi-perspective, consisting of 13 participants from 4 professional groups. Main findings: The findings emphasise that maternity coaching can play a positive role in assisting both working women and organisations to successfully navigate the maternity transition phase. Through the findings, it was established why maternity coaching is needed as a mechanism of support, how maternity coaching should be implemented and what should be included in the coaching conversations. Practical managerial implications: This article provides a Maternity Transition Coaching Model with guidelines and recommendations for different professional groups in any organisation where maternity transition is experienced. The implications of this study are how maternity coaching can be implemented as a tool in dealing with retention of professional women during maternity transition and to increase gender diversity at the senior organisational level. Contribution: The body of knowledge contributes to understanding the role of maternity coaching as an emerging form of transition coaching in organisations. A Maternity Transition Coaching model was designed that is complemented by guidelines for implementing a maternity coaching programme that can be utilised by human resources personnel, senior management and coaches who are exposed to the adverse consequences of senior women leaving the organisations because of the challenges they face during maternity transition.

The line between hypervisibility and invisibility appears to be blurred for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women in the workplace due to their race and gendered status (Lander and Santoro 2017). The intersection of race and gender exposes many BAME women to discrimination, structural inequalities, and the dynamics of tokenism, which can be a cause of intense job dissatisfaction (Stroshine and Brandl 2011). It is often the case that discussions on the economic integration of immigrants focus mainly on how the socio-economic dynamics of the host country can limit them to certain labour market sectors. While this is a key area that must be discussed, "the interaction between the internal cultural and social differences and the wider structural and ideological processes of the country of residence" must also be interrogated (Anthias 1992: viii). Such deep exploration contributes to the examination of migrant women's experiences of the intersection of gender, identity, and social mobility within the labour market and their personal lives. In this paper, based on individual accounts and drawing on intersectionality as an analytical framework (Crenshaw 1989; Bowleg 2012; Collins and Bilge 2020), I examine the multiple and complex interlocking structural inequalities suffered by immigrant women. This paper also presents how personal narratives can illuminate often hidden complexities in the workplace and labour market at large. Based on three main themes, deskilling and downward mobility, settling for BBC2 jobs, and confronting discrimination in skilled employment, I examine the different ways migrant women engage with their stories about negotiating the labour market, which lay bare some of the limits and gaps between policies and practices in the post-industrial labour market. I present how the different ways they engage with narratives of their experiences in the workplace is very telling of the far-reaching impact their experiences have on their self-identity and well-being. As a feminist researcher, and one whose life is also marked by migration experiences, I go beyond examining the process of deskilling to exploring how participants make sense of their experiences, the impact on their lives, and their present sense of identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on in-depth interview data and popular culture texts, the current study has explored the politics of reproduction revolving around women's age in contemporary China. Conceptualizing reproduction as a site of contestation and politics between different, and often contradictory, sets of discourses and power structures, I pursue a feminist and social constructivist analysis of the politics of reproduction in the lives of a group of urban professional women who are yet to enter motherhood at their late 20s and 30s. I engage with Inhorn's (2009) concept of 'disrupted reproduction' to highlight the politically, morally and emotionally charged contestations in the 'problematized' reproductive lives of these women. I unveil how Chinese professional women beyond their 'reproductive prime' are discursively constructed as 'disrupters', who fail their femininity test tied to a motherhood identity within the family context, challenge the 'natural' biological law regulating their reproductive bodies, and face a doomed reproductive future fraught with medical, physical and emotional traumas which ART cannot alleviate. Such a discourse renders invisible the structural causes of problems and challenges professional women face in negotiating parenthood, social norms and selfhood, which systematically put them under pervasive social surveillance and discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumo Contexto O aumento da participação feminina no contingente médico brasileiro e mundial tem sido notório; entretanto, o número de mulheres cirurgiãs não acompanha a mesma tendência. Além da análise quantitativa, os fatores determinantes da escolha pela especialidade cirúrgica e as características da atuação profissional necessitam de mais estudos. Objetivos Delinear o perfil das cirurgiãs vasculares brasileiras no que diz respeito às características demográficas, grau de qualificação, engajamento científico e integração ao mercado de trabalho. Métodos Um questionário eletrônico foi disponibilizado on-line durante 30 dias e teve seu link amplamente divulgado entre cirurgiãs vasculares. Após coleta, retornaram 101 questionários válidos, cujos dados foram tabulados em planilhas do Microsoft Excel para análise descritiva simples. Resultados O perfil encontrado foi de mulheres com até 45 anos de idade que atuam na área por no máximo 10 anos. A formação foi predominantemente por meio de residência médica ou estágio reconhecido pela sociedade da especialidade. Cirurgia venosa, flebologia estética e ecografia vascular mostraram-se como principais campos de atuação para cirurgiãs vasculares. Apesar de possuírem titulação e publicações científicas, a sua representatividade nos cargos de liderança permanece baixa. Mais de 64% das participantes referiram sentimento de desvalorização profissional devido ao fato de serem mulheres. Conclusões Apesar das limitações da população estudada, este estudo preliminar corrobora com a ideia de que as cirurgiãs vasculares demonstram uma contínua dedicação à especialidade e abre um precedente para que novas pesquisas acessem os pormenores dessa atuação profissional, fomentando a discussão sobre as desigualdades entre os gêneros no exercício da medicina.

While the analysis of depression narratives has become increasingly common practice within critical mental health research, this work rarely investigates how these accounts intersect with particular social identities. The recent emergence of the 'top girl' identity, a new cultural slot on offer for young women, is underpinned by the rise of neoliberal and post-feminist discourses in the Western world. To explore whether this new feminine subjectivity is indeed taken up by young women and how it shapes their experience of depression, we conducted in-depth interviews with 13 young professional women in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Based on a dialogical approach to theorising and researching subjectivity, we identified repetitive inter-relations between different voices-of-the-self and the voices of depression. The most pervasive pattern in the sample consists of what we have termed demanding voices associated with the 'top girl' position, which construct depression as an individual deficit thereby discouraging young women from exploring the sociocultural origins of their distress. In contrast, resistant voices emphasise relationality and a (re)connection with meaningful values and, therefore, seem to be productive for individual recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at the ways by which domestic food practices enable professional Palestinian women who are citizens of Israel to position themselves as modern and entitled to participation and social acceptance in Israeli society, if only as individuals. In this process, domestic kitchens become spaces for female agency. Two sets of culinary capital are accumulated – the traditional and the modern – each involving a different relation to food production and consumption. While the former sustains Palestinian tradition in an altered and commodified form, the latter equips Palestinian citizens of Israel with the necessary cultural capital to participate in public spaces. Such a process requires the women to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. In return, they seek recognition of the local Palestinian community as distinctive from that in the West Bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on a qualitative investigation of contemporary female subjectivities at the intersection of two particular identities: being a "young professional woman" and "depressed." Thirteen women working in both private and public sector roles in two major cities in Aotearoa New Zealand participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Employing a practice-based approach to analysis, my aim was to explore whether participants' accounts are inflected by what cultural scholars call the "top girl" or "can-do girl" ideal and the implications for "recovering" from depression. I identified five identity practices which constitute the subject position of the "ideal depressed self" who (a) delivers no matter what, (b) puts on a brave face (particularly at work), (c) treats her depression medically, (d) looks after herself, and (e) works toward becoming more positive. A discussion of the discursive underpinnings, in particular, neoliberal and postfeminist rhetoric, highlights the harmful effects of this individualizing perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether perceived organisational support (POS) and social support mediated the relationship between career adaptability and career satisfaction among professional women. The participants were a purposive sample of 606 professional women (62% = white, 20% = black African, 6% = coloured, 11% = Indian women; mean age = 35.41 years, SD = 8.39 years) in the early adulthood and establishment career stage. Participants were employed in the financial, engineering, and human resources fields. The professional women completed standardised measures of POS, social support, career adaptability, and career satisfaction. Mediation analysis results indicated POS and perceived social support enhanced the relationship between professional women's career adaptability and career satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of support influences and career adaptability as core aspects for the career satisfaction of professional women in contemporary employment contexts. By implication, employer organisations should provide work-based support resources to professional women employees for career adaptability skills and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing role congruity theory, this study examines judgments of professional women television characters who adhere to or violate traditional gender norms. In an experiment, participants (N = 119) were randomly assigned to watch a video of a fictional woman politician with subtitles manipulated to display her speaking with either agentic or communal language. Participants then assessed the woman character's competence, likability, and hostility. After testing moderated mediation models that included identification and counterarguing as mediators and age and gender as moderators, notable findings included that (1) the agentic character was perceived as less likable than the communal character, especially among men participants; (2) older participants saw the agentic character as more hostile than the communal character; and (3) younger and mid-aged men saw the agentic character as less competent than the communal character. Though extant role congruity literature explores attitudes toward gender stereotype violations in "real world" situations, these findings suggest that these biases persist with television characters and are moderated by audience age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feminisation of HIV and AIDS globally has significantly impacted Caribbean nations. Within the last 10-15 years, West Indian females have been disproportionately affected by the spread of HIV at a 3-6 times higher rate than males. This qualitative study explored the sexual behaviours and practices of professional, Caribbean women and their perceived susceptibility to HIV and AIDS: generally, in the broad context of everyday life, and specifically, during the Carnival season. The study also examined the extents to which, in the context of Caribbean culture, professional women felt in command of their health. The study therefore sought to determine if the sexual behaviours and practices of professional women, increased their vulnerability to HIV. Participants were selected from Grenada and Trinidad, known HIV low and high-risk islands respectively. Carnival activities are dominated by women between ages 18-40 years. As such, the study population comprised professional women aged 25-40 years. A cross sectional approach using qualitative research methods was employed: participant observations, interviews and focus groups. It was found that education was not a significant driver of safe sex decision-making. Rather, it was the varying attitudes and perspectives regarding sexuality and the degree of empowerment in relation to physical, sexual, mental, emotional and social well-being that determined safe sex practices. These findings lay a comprehensive and preliminary foundation that can be used to buttress future research on this, traditionally, underexplored area related to the sociocultural factors that lead to the feminisation of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text seeks to reflect on the conceptions of motherhood of a group of professional women living in Lima. We ask ourselves, how are they situated before the decision to be mother and how does motherhood fit into their life projects. The research is based on twenty-six interviews to professional women from different areas, in the age range of 28 to 38 years, who were not mothers at the time of the interview. Their answers show us a complex picture where various conceptions of motherhood coincide understanding it as a sacrifice of personal and professional life. The eagerness to balance work and family life with a motherhood project in an «established timeline» by social pressure makes the responses of these women at times contradictory, they also show the latent anguish of having to decide between motherhood or new ways of living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive quantitative research paper attempts to explore how women employees at one of the public universities in province of Sindh perceive their profession and societal attitudes including those of colleagues, family and neighbours towards these professional women and their profession. The target participants of this study were academic and non-academic women who had minimum 5 years work experience. Through random sampling technique 100 women (50 from each category) were selected for taking part in survey questionnaire. Findings suggest a positive shift in societal attitude towards professional women in general and working in universities in particular. Interestingly, non-academic respondents perceived societal attitude more positive and supportive than those of academic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the role psychosocial resources play in enhancing perceptions of support and career satisfaction among professional women. The participants were a purposive sample of 606 professional women from South Africa (white = 61.8%, black = 19.9%, Indian = 11.1%, and coloured = 6.6%; mean age = 35.41 years, SD = 8.39 years). The participants were in their early adulthood and establishment career stage. The participants were employed in the financial, engineering, and human resource fields. The participants completed measures of emotional intelligence, career adaptability, psychosocial career preoccupations, self-efficacy, perceived organisational support, social support, and career satisfaction. Following canonical correlation analysis, results revealed managing own emotions, career control, self-efficacy, preoccupations with career adaptation, and preoccupations with establishment to positively predict higher levels of organisational support and career satisfaction. Findings underpin the fact that psychosocial resources are assets for the career well-being of professional women from a developing country setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's career development is seen to be complex, and more research is needed to gain more knowledge about the psychosocial factors that influence the career satisfaction of professional women. The current research explored the interplay between career adaptability and psychosocial career preoccupations to explain the variance in levels of career satisfaction. Data were collected from a random sample (N = 576) of professional women in scarce skills fields in the South African organisational context. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis indicated that individuals with high career adaptability and low career establishment and work/life adjustment preoccupations exhibited relatively higher levels of career satisfaction than those with high preoccupations. The study concluded that individuals' career preoccupations negatively moderated the positive link between their career adaptability resources and career satisfaction. Career discussions should address the career development concerns of professional women in order to enhance their career satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that mothers are paid less than childless women and that fathers tend to earn higher wages relative to childless men, but we do not know whether these findings apply to workers in all occupations. Using IPUMS and ACS data from 1980 and 2010, we examine the family wage gap for highly educated professionals, the most advantaged sector of the occupational distribution. Results indicate that the size of the negative wage differential for motherhood has declined over time in all professions. Moreover, in the traditionally male-dominated professions of STEM, medicine, and law, women with children experience a positive wage differential, whereas their counterparts in female-dominated professions continue to experience a negative one. The positive differential for fatherhood has remained stable over time. These findings underscore the growing heterogeneity of women's experiences in combining work and family and raise important questions for further research.

Genetic testing services for breast cancer are well established in developed countries compared to African populations that bear a disproportionate burden of breast cancer (BC). The objective of this study is to examine the knowledge of professional Nigerian women about BC genetics and their intentions to utilize genetic testing services when it is made available in Nigeria. In this study, 165 lecturers and 189 bankers were recruited and studied using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The respondents’ mean age was 34.9 years (SD = 10.9), 6.5% had family history of BC, and 84.7% had limited knowledge of breast cancer genetics. The proportion of women with genetic testing intentions for breast cancer was 87.3%. Health care access (OR = 2.35, 95% CI, 1.07-5.13), religion (OR = 3.51, 95% CI, 1.03-11.92), and perceived personal risk if a close relative had breast cancer (OR = 2.31, 95% CI, 1.05-5.08) independently predicted testing intentions. The genetic testing intentions for BC were high despite limited knowledge about breast cancer genetics. Promotion of BC genetics education as well as efforts to make BC genetic testing services available in Nigeria at reduced cost remains essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been a striking increase in female participation in the Brazilian and worldwide medical contingent, but the number of female surgeons does not follow the same trend. In addition to quantitative analysis, there is a need for further study of the determinants of choice of surgical specialty and the characteristics of professional practice. Objectives: To outline the profile of female vascular surgeons in Brazil in terms of demographic characteristics, qualifications, scientific engagement, and labor market integration. Methods: A survey was made available online for 30 days and its link was widely circulated among female vascular surgeons. At the end of data collection, 101 valid questionnaires had been returned and their data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for simple descriptive analysis. Results: The profile traced was of women aged up to 45 years who have been working in the area for up to 10 years. They were predominantly trained in medical residencies or internships recognized by the specialty board. Venous surgery, Esthetic Phlebology and Vascular Ultrasound were the major fields of activity for female vascular surgeons. Although they hold degrees and author scientific publications, the proportion of leadership positions held by women remains low. More than 64% of the participants reported feeling undervalued because they were women. Conclusions: Despite the limitations of the study population, this preliminary study confirms the idea that female vascular surgeons demonstrate continuous dedication to practicing their specialty and sets a precedent so that further studies can investigate the professional practice of female vascular surgeons in greater detail, stimulating discussion of gender inequalities in medical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article brings the neglected topic of small professional unions into the women and unions literature. In addition to an overview of women’s representation and gender equality strategies in small professional UK unions, it offers a contextually grounded analysis of barriers and enablers of women’s participation in Napo – the union representing professional workers in the probation service. The article identifies several enablers: healthy levels of women’s representation over a long period of time; presence and longevity of gender equality strategies; a strong occupational identity; occupational values that complement those of unionism. However, a highly pressured work environment and hostile industrial relations climate create lived insecurities, work–life imbalance and time poverty, which have constrained women professionals’ union participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]