Striving for Equality: The Forces Shaping Equal Opportunities in the Recruitment of Female Faculty Members in Iran

The study aimed to identify the factors that influence equal opportunities in the recruitment of female faculty members in Iran. To achieve this aim, we adopted a qualitative approach employing the case study method. The participants in the study were individuals with an experienced background in the faculty members' recruitment committee who were selected with purposeful sampling methods of criterion type. To collect the data, we used a semi-structured interview and performed a thematic analysis for data analysis. The findings showed that the views of the participants in the study about the factors that influence equal opportunities in the recruitment of female faculty members in Iran can be classified into three inclusive themes, including trans-organizational factors, organizational factors, and individual factors. The study had three implications. First, feminist theory, change theory, equal opportunity theory, and role congruity theory justify equal opportunities in the recruitment of female faculty members. Second, despite Iran's constitutional support for creating equal opportunities for the recruitment of women, the prevalence of a patriarchal culture in the Iranian academic system has intensified gender inequalities. Third, creating equal opportunities for the recruitment of female faculty members in Iran not only requires changes in institutional-level laws but also demands a shift in the culture and practices governing universities.