“We don’t want to be accused of being feminists”. A gender equality measure for leadership positions and the perpetuation of patriarchal arrangements

This article investigates the impact of a gender equality measure focused on career advancement, specifically through a managerial control process introduced by the women’s network of a large SBF120 firm to increase women’s leadership representation. Using a qualitative study and Acker’s framework, it reveals that such measures sustain and conceal existing inequalities. The underlying assumptions—linking equality with career advancement, work/life balance, and financial performance—reflect patriarchal norms, portraying men as self-maximizing workers and women as complementary and primarily responsible for reproductive work. These norms are reinforced by the managerial control process. The article highlights the difficulty for women leading this process to move beyond the career-advancement view due to organizational and societal constraints. It concludes that the measure cannot challenge the status quo, creates a “blind spot” in gender equality efforts, and inhibits the ability to envision alternatives to patriarchal structures.

For further information, please access the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2024.102754

This paper is published in Critical Perspectives in Accounting

Authors: Nathalie CLAVIJO and Ludivine PERRAY-REDSLOB