Conservation biology leaders face different obstacles depending on gender

The demanding nature of conservation biology, with extensive fieldwork and travel, disproportionately affects work-life balance, exacerbating gender disparities in leadership. Diversity and inclusivity enhance conservation outcomes, yet women remain underrepresented in senior roles, facing intersectional barriers tied to gender, race, and socioeconomic factors, especially in the Global South. To better understand the factors influencing women’s success in conservation science leadership, we analyzed the career experiences of professionals across the globe. Our study compared the professional journeys of men and women leaders while identifying the main obstacles they encounter in reaching leadership positions. We identified 556 research leaders based on criteria related to high-impact publications, awards, conference attendance, and academic affiliation. Among them, fewer than 30% were women. We sent an online questionnaire by email to all leaders, addressing both personal and professional aspects (e.g., demographic and academic background). A total of 118 researchers responded (54 women and 64 men). We found that men and women in conservation science leadership recognize distinct challenges on their journey to leadership. While 62% of women cited family balance and gender issues as key hurdles, men reported systematic challenges like funding and academic constraints. Men and women had similar life histories with no differences in age at marriage, parenthood timing, or partner’s career. A higher proportion of women (22%) than men (14%) were childless. Our findings call for institutions to adopt inclusive policies, such as work-life balance measures, fair promotions, and stronger mentorship networks, to alleviate women’s disproportionate burdens, close gender gaps, and retain women leaders.