This Symposium integrates quantitative and qualitative information to assess the representation of women in academic geography in The Netherlands, Catalonia, Hungary and Singapore. It offers comparative commentary on the situation in the United States and additionally a focus on the experiences of a group of women geographers of colour in Canada, the US and the UK. Through this cross-national approach, the significance of context in shaping the representation of women geographers becomes apparent, especially the importance of political economy and of shifting labour markets. The papers also make clear the intersections between the gender make-up of the profession, the nature of the curriculum, and students' experiences. They document strategies employed to change women's representation.