Work

Postfeminist career retreatism among women leaders in the public sector

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We examine how postfeminism with its emphasis on individualism, empowerment and the assumption that equality is achieved, is implicated in how women leaders respond to a gendered work culture. Drawing on interviews with women leaders in the Northern Ireland public sector, and through thematic analysis, we demonstrate how they enact postfeminist norms, rejecting postfeminist career promises. We develop the notion of postfeminist career retreatism to encapsulate how despite experiences of a gendered culture, they locate the decision to retreat from their career within themselves. Consequently, external barriers to equality are translated into individual shortcomings, leaving the discriminatory status quo intact.

Source: Public Management Review

DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2026.2622525

Authors: Joan Ballantine, Corina Sheerin, Patricia Lewis

Institutions: University of Ulster, National College of Ireland, University of Kent

Language: English

Topic: Gender Diversity and Inequality

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7125928512

FWCI:

Cites: 51

Cited by:

Related to: 10