“Nationwide, family issues still create greater challenges for women than men,” according to Marc Goulden, research analyst at UC Berkley, despite the "feminizing" trend in academia. In 1966 only 8% of doctoral recipients were female compared to about 44 % today. Yet, among these findings:  For each year after receiving a doctorate, married men with children under 6 years are 50 % more likely to enter a tenure-track position than married women with children under age 6. For each year after securing a tenure-track position, men are 20 % more likely to achieve tenure than are women. Source:    Parker, Clifton B. “Faculty stats on work-life balance eyed.” Dateline UC Davis. December 12, 2003. Accessed July 2008. <http://www-dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=7164>

Tenure and turnover for women faculty reflect disproportional numbers in comparison to men.  According to a 2004 Association of American University Professors  (AAUP)  fact sheet  less than 1/4 of all faculty men held temporary appointments as compared with nearly 1/2 of all faculty women. The annual separation rate of temporary faculty was about five times the annual separation rate of tenure system faculty. The study concludes that the disproportionate number of women with temporary appointment status accounts for the fact faculty women have a higher turnover than faculty men. 

Quoting the fact sheet, Roger Bowen, AAUP general secretary, noted among full-time faculty 38 % are women. But among full professors, only 23 % are women. Conversely, women are well-represented among the lower ranks; women make up 58% of all instructors, 54% of all lecturers and hold 51% of all unranked positions. Women occupied about 9% of full professor positions at four-year colleges and universities in 1972 and still, only 23 % of all full professors in 2003. Source: Bowen, Roger. (2005). “Gender Inequity.” Academe.  Mar/Apr2005, Vol. 91, Issue 2, p.128.