It's Not You, It's the System: Women Professors in <scp>TESOL</scp> and the Persistence of Gender Bias

Abstract Although progress has been made with respect to the role and position of women in academia, overt and covert discrimination as well as structural and systemic bias persist. In this article, we report on research conducted with 14 women professors from 10 different countries to explore to what extent these issues affect women professors in TESOL. Based on the analysis of qualitative data drawn from semi‐structured interviews, the findings show that all of the women irrespective of context report on experiences of discrimination; however, they also acknowledge some progress in legal terms (overt) but suggest attitudes of others are slower to change (covert). Interestingly, they state that greater discrimination can stem from intersecting identities, in particular in this study, disciplinary identities associated with the field of TESOL. The discussion raises important questions about persistent overt and covert discrimination of minoritized social groups, the roles of interesting identities and power hierarches, the cumulative effects of daily discrimination, and the need for conscious critical reflection to challenge blindspots and deeply ingrained stereotypes. The article concludes for research to continue challenging obstacles and dismantling the covert forms of discrimination which persist across the global community in this instance in respect to women TESOL professors.