The present thesis investigates gender inequality construction in higher education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Adopting a feminist standpoint and utilising ‘intersectionality’ as a framework, the study addresses structural, cultural, and institutional factors that limit female academics’ access to opportunities and advancement in academia. The study employs a constructivist-interpretive paradigm and an ethnographic approach to methodology. It incorporates phenomenology and narrative inquiry to explore perceptions and interpretations of senior academics and doctoral researchers regarding the gender inequality phenomenon in higher educational institutions in Iraqi Kurdistan. Thematic analysis is implemented to apply a critical analysis to the dataset obtained from research fieldwork that was conducted in two selected universities in the Sulaimani province, Kurdistan Region. Through ideal-type analysis, the study identifies four ideal-types of Kurdish female academics and provides insights into their adopted strategies to address and overcome gender barriers and exclusion. The technique of investigation used in the study is an open-ended, semi-structured in-depth interview. The study population comprised thirty-one doctoral researchers and academic professionals occupying senior-level positions. This study aims to recognise, understand, and analyse barriers facing female academics in achieving opportunities and accessing senior leadership positions in higher educational institutions. The study also sheds light on strategies women academics have adopted to maintain their academic positions and advance their achievements.