The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of academic women in order to gain an in depth understanding of factors that encourage and discourage their career advancement. A qualitative design and a Feminist standpoint framework guided the study. 11 faculty members from different faculties were interviewed in this study: eight female academics and three male academics from three Swedish universities: Linköping, Örebro and Stockholm.

The study looked at the factors that encourage women academics career advancement such as: personal, family and academic factors. While, factors that discourage their career advancement have been also discussed and such factors are: the lack of support, network and mentorship; the reconciliation of the private life and the professional life; the lack of time: excess academic and administrative workloads.

The results of this study also revealed that the lack of academic support, mentorship and the combination of family and work duties appeared to be the greatest barriers for the career advancement of the female academics.

study concludes that despite the Swedish government countless series of measures and reforms to improve gender equality and equal opportunity in higher education, the number of female academics in the top ranking especially professorship is still very low and the career progression is also slow compared to their male counterpart.