Mansplaining and the marginalisation of women academics in Turkey

This study investigates the systematic marginalisation of women academics in Turkish universities through the lens of ‘mansplaining’, using a phenomenological design and interviews with 13 women academics, and situates these dynamics within a centralised, politicised higher education system that shapes women's epistemic authority. Mansplaining emerges not as a communicative annoyance but as institutional violence and epistemic silencing that enforces a ‘masculinised’ identity performance and reinforces vertical discrimination—symbolised by the ‘men are deans, women are assistants’ hierarchy—particularly in regional settings. Participants' selective reticence about the political context reflects institutional caution and self-censorship. The study proposes concrete interventions—defining ‘epistemic violence’ in university codes, ‘interruption audits’ in academic boards, and peer-solidarity networks—underscoring the need for systemic transformation toward a more equitable academic culture in Turkey.