Abstract: Submission #97

Abstract This study will focus on utilising Betz’s (1993) key factors influencing women’s career development. Exploring how multiple role concerns, such as balancing work and family responsibilities, affect the career development of women in academia today highlighting any changes or persistent barriers. It is important to provide a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that women in academia experience, particularly within the South African context. By revisiting and applying Betz's framework of career development, the study will examine how factors such as gender, societal expectations, work-life balance, and institutional structures continue to influence women’s career advancement in academic settings. The theoretical framework that underpins the study is Critical Feminist Theory. Through the lens of critical feminist theory, one can analyse how intersecting systems of power shape and frequently impede women's advancement in academia within South African universities, emphasising the necessity of questioning institutional norms and promoting structural change.The research will be conducted through a qualitative approach, a narrative design focusing on personal stories and lived experiences and will use thematic content analysis. Given the historical and socio-cultural factors that shape South African universities, this research could offer valuable insights into how systemic barriers and gendered expectations impact women’s academic careers. This study could also provide a platform for advocating for structural changes in higher education institutions to create an environment that nurtures women’s professional growth, ensuring that they have equal opportunities to thrive in academia. By contributing to the broader discourse on gender equity in higher education, the study holds the potential to inform both local and international initiatives focused on gender empowerment, academic diversity, and inclusivity.