Navigating power and neoliberal logics: critical reflections on implementing gender equality plans in higher education institutions

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) continue to be structured around gendered hierarchies that intersect with neoliberal logics, perpetuating systemic inequalities. This paper aims to explore how power dynamics and networking practices shape the implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) within HEIs, both challenging and being challenged by existing structures. It further examines how gender equality can be effectively advanced within the constraints of neoliberal academic environments. Design/methodology/approach Authors’ research method integrates autoethnography (AE) with critical reflexivity to examine the complexities of implementing GEPs across four business schools within an EU project consortium. By embracing AE, they leverage their personal experiences to explore institutional structures, while engaging in critical reflexivity enables them to challenge underlying assumptions and question power dynamics, providing a more nuanced understanding of how gender equality initiatives unfold within hierarchical and performance-driven academic environments. Findings Their findings highlight how power and networking practices, as well as the navigation of underlying neoliberal logics, vary across their consortium’s business schools. By situating their personal experiences within broader institutional structures, they critically examine how power operates at multiple levels and uncover the tensions between transformative gender equality efforts and neoliberal academic cultures. Originality/value This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how power relations and neoliberal influences intersect to impact gender equality interventions in HEIs.