Purpose This study aims to explore intersectional gender inequalities that exist in accounting organizations. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature, covering the period from 1990 to 2020, assesses the intersectionality of professional and social factors that shape inequalities in women’s professional accounting careers. Findings This study presents the complex facets of women’s inequality in gendered accounting organizations. The results reveal that inequity persists in accounting organizations despite organizational changes. The findings highlight the relevance of further research in gendered organizations to capture the intersectionality of gender with other forms of inequality. Practical implications This review informs professional organizations, accountants and company managers about the persistence of gender concerns in the accountancy profession in the last 30 years, despite stated accounting profession commitments to achieve gender equality, as promoted by United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, some possible solutions are proposed. Originality/value This study focuses on a complex and challenging issue, contributing to the literature by extending classical narrative literature. This study presents a structured view of the various intersections of professional and social characteristics that created inequalities and the suggested solutions.

Historically, in most countries, the accounting profession has always been male-dominated. Liberal professions such as lawyers, engineers, architects and doctors share the common trait of conservatism. The accounting profession, which is also a liberal profession, is no exception. Starting from this premise, this work aims to provide, using a historical and institutional perspective, a picture of the past and current “journey” in the accountancy profession of women-chartered accountants and auditors in Italy and Romania. Drawing from the theoretical framework of gendered construction of the accounting profession, the paper points out issues affecting the presence, the degree of representativeness and the role (concerning the presence among the higher level of professional activities and governance positions) of women within the National Chartered Association and their continued under-representation in Italy and Romania. Findings contribute to providing insights useful to develop a future agenda and fill in the research gaps in this field.

In this paper, we analyze the gender issues that are present in the accounting profession, and more precisely, on the career paths one could follow in the accounting profession and what the underlying reasons are for each option. Our conclusions show that some of the factors that influence women career paths are discrimination, motherhood, glass-ceiling, double standard and a lack of visibility.

The paper investigated gender inequalities in the accounting profession in the specific context of an eastern European country, in the past heavily dominated by men, but now with a substantial number of women. Thus, we used a questionnaire survey explored the relationship between women’s perception of discrimination and institutional and individual characteristics. Institutional factors such as rewards practices, opportunities, and access to top positions in organisations influence women's perception of gender discrimination. Concerning the intersectionality of individual characteristics interaction, our results revealed that women professionals with higher academic achievement and children are more likely to report discrimination. In contrast, women professionals with a higher-ranking position in organisations and those working in the public sector are less likely to report it compared with those from the private sector. These findings are of interest from a theoretical perspective to those who explore gender-related issues in general and in the case of accounting organisations. They are also helpful from a practical standpoint regarding the management of these accounting organisations, which should ensure gender-equitable policies for employees.