In this article we summarize the most relevant findings from a research study that endeavours to incorporate a gender perspective in the study of university administration. The study analyses the role of women in both horizontal and vertical administrative structures in four Catalan universities, taking into account their expectations and perceptions. Overall, the results point to the existence of both external and internal barriers that explain the lack of women in university administration. Among these barriers, organizational culture appears as a change-resistant element that promotes an environment dominated by male values and justifies most women's self-exclusion from university administration. The study also identifies the main features of how these women depict their experiences in administration and attempts to articulate an alternative discourse for leadership at the university. (Contains 1 table.)