A qualitative study was conducted to examine how gender and ethnicity influenced leadership experiences of a mixed ethnic sample of British women. An intersectional framework was used which took the viewpoint that socio-demographic identities should be considered simultaneously in order to challenge universalist, gender and ethnic neutral assumptions of leadership. One hundred and thirty women of white, black, Asian and mixed ethnicity in senior management and leadership positions from a broad range of sectors participated in focus groups and interviews exploring leadership constructions and enactment. White women's leadership definitions reflected contemporary leadership models. In contrast, minority ethnic women defined leadership using predominantly ethno-cultural lenses, which informed their self-identities and orientation towards others. Regarding enacting leader identities, white women described historical gender and class barriers to enacting leadership, while minority ethnic women described current barriers linked to ethnic and religious identities. Practical implications for women's leader identity development and theoretical implications for developing more inclusive leadership theories are discussed.

Concern continues to be expressed over women's difficulties in advancing their careers as academic scientists. Though some sciences may be numerically 'feminised', few women reach the upper echelons of science. Scant attention has been paid to issues of the progression of women from non-traditional backgrounds, such as those from ethnic minorities, who may be particularly disadvantaged. What research there is indicates a variation between the sciences in terms of women's careers and patterns that are replicated globally. Explanations are now focusing on how the scientific culture itself acts as a barrier to women rather than on the notion that women themselves lack the requisite skills. The Athena Project is a policy response to this issue. Future research and policy needs to look more closely at differences between the sciences, how women from diverse backgrounds experience the academic labour market and epistemological connections between employment and engagement with the scientific agenda. Academic women in science: is there a problem?Despite a plethora of initiatives mounted in the last decade to address women's under-representation in both scientific and higher education employment, women appear to face considerable difficulties when advancing a career in academic science. The increase in the number of women graduates, including those from ethnic minorities, has not been accompanied by a concomitant increase in the proportions of women in academic posts, particularly in the science, engineering and technology (SET) disciplines -'SET' being a UK term that refers primarily to the biosciences, physical and chemical sciences, mathematics and engineering. This is starkly revealed in quantitative data that show women occupying two per cent or less of professorial posts in many of the SET sub-disciplines (Bebbington, 2001).

The paradox of diversity is that successful diversity interventions require leadership support when diversity in leadership positions is so evidently lacking. In order to explore this paradox in the UK, we examine progress towards demographic diversity in leadership roles in the higher education sector, a sector in which there is much espoused support for diversity. Through a critical and comprehensive review of the literature, we illustrate the persistent nature of inequalities that hinder diversity and inclusion in leadership. We examine studies on salient forms of inequality in higher education leadership including research on gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and disability. We show that leadership diversity remains a significant challenge for the higher education sector. Drawing on the example of this sector, we demonstrate that leadership occupies a contradictory space in terms of demographic diversity, both as the focus of criticism due to its homogeneous profile and counter-intuitively as an essential force for progress towards greater equality. We investigate the paradox of the relative homogeneity of higher education leadership set against its role for championing and promoting equality and identify ways in which demographic diversity as well as the progressive potential of higher education leadership may be fostered.Le paradoxe de la diversité est tel que les interventions réussies en matière de diversité nécessitent le soutien du leadership alors même que la diversité dans le leadership fait défaut. Afin d’explorer ce paradoxe au Royaume-Uni, nous examinons les progrès dans la diversité des rôles de leadership dans l’enseignement supérieur, secteur dans lequel il existe beaucoup de soutien à la diversité.Grâce à un examen critique et exhaustif de la littérature, nous illustrons la persistance des inégalités qui entravent la diversité et l’inclusion dans le leadership. Nous étudions les formes saillantes de l’inégalité en matière de leadership dans l’enseignement supérieur, y compris la recherche sur le genre, l’origine ethnique, la classe sociale, l’orientation sexuelle ainsi que le handicap. Nous démontrons que la diversité dans le leadership demeure un défi important dans l’enseignement supérieur. A travers cet exemple, nous démontrons que le leadership occupe un espace contradictoire en termes de diversité démographique, à la fois en tant qu’objet de critiques en raison de son profil homogène mais également en tant que force essentielle pour progresser vers une plus grande égalité. Nous étudions le paradoxe de la relative homogénéité du leadership dans l’enseignement supérieur contre ses rôles de champion et de promoteur de l’égalité. Il s’agit d’identifier les moyens par lesquels la diversité démographique ainsi que le potentiel du leadership dans l’enseignement supérieur peuvent être encouragés.La paradoja de la diversidad trata de que las intervenciones exitosas de la diversidad requieren apoyo de la direccion cuando la diversidad en las posiciones de liderato està obviamente faltando...

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