Behind the Façade: Genderwashing in Indian HEIs

ABSTRACT This study investigates genderwashing practices in Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) as an organisational phenomenon. It draws on Joan Acker's framework of gendered organisations to examine the manifestations of genderwashing through five processes: the division of labour, cultural symbols, interactions, individual identities and organisational logic. Semi‐structured interviews with 26 senior academic administrators across non‐STEM fields in HEIs reveal how symbolic compliance with gender policies coexists with hidden biases in work allocation, cultural norms and leadership progression. The findings demonstrate how symbolic gender compliance sustains male‐dominated management structures while fulfilling external regulatory demands for gender equity. These results affect HEIs’ contribution to meeting Sustainable Development Goals targets related to gender equality and decent work. Instead of framing structural barriers as ‘individual choices’, the authors recommend that HEIs invest in processes and structures that make them gender‐inclusive, such as affordable childcare and flexible working arrangements, which impact career progression. Gendered actions and attitudes embedded in the structures and minds of stakeholders involved in higher education need re‐examination and subsequent action.