Despite the proliferation of measures designed to promote gender equality in academia, structural inequalities persist—particularly in senior positions of responsibility, such as professorships. In 2021, women held only 28% of professorships in higher education and research institutions, even though they comprised 48% of PhD students, according to data gathered from a sample of 900 EU (European Union) and non-EU institutions. Furthermore, the 2025 edition of the European Commission’s She Figures report confirms this trend—also regarding female authorship and funding success—while it observes that female representation among board members and leaders grew by a modest 7% compared to the 2021 edition. Should those measures be reinforced, does their efficiency require simply more time, or do we need a shift in the current approach? The latter is, as I argue, the most viable option: gender equality policies cannot be fully effective without a change in academic culture regarding gender stereotypes and relationships. In particular, an academic culture that promotes female leadership and inclusive debate must be fostered at all levels, ensuring that senior-level female leadership is the result of a broader culture of gender equality, rather than amounting to …