CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Next Editor of Gender & Society

Gender & Society, published by Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) since 1987, is a top- ranked journal in both gender studies and sociology. The journal receives over 1,000 new submissions each year, with about 19,000 subscribers and just under 500,000 article downloads each year. The journal has a strong tradition of supporting mentoring, professional development, communicating and promoting gender scholarship broadly, and developing feminist scholarship throughout the peer-review and editorial process.

The SWS Publications Committee announces a search for the next Editor(s) of Gender & Society, the official journal of SWS. The Editor will serve a four-year term beginning August 2027 with Volume 41 and ending with Volume 45 in December 2031. There will be two transition periods: May to July 31, 2027, to transition into the editorial duties and January through July 31, 2031, to transition to the next Editorial Office. The Publications Committee seeks an Editor or Editorial team with a demonstrated consistent track record of productive scholarship, commitment to the mentoring mission of the journal, and a vision and strategy for maintaining and strengthening Gender & Society as a prestigious interdisciplinary journal. While the publisher, SAGE Publications and SWS provide resources to the editorial office, the journal’s host institution is also expected to provide support for both the Editor and the office. SWS does not support administrative costs associated with the funding distribution to the host institution. The proposal should indicate the expected institutional support, including a letter from an institutional representative, such as the Chair and/or Dean. The proposal must include a proposed budget and also formally specify the details of the proposed editorial structure, including names and qualifications of all Editors and Deputy Editors who will be actively involved in the reviewing and editing processes, and the methodological and substantive range of the Editorial team.

Gender & Society operates on an electronic platform (Manuscript Central) through which the Editor manages all aspects of the publication and review process. In 2025, the journal received an average of 116 new submissions per month, resulting in about 1,117 decisions on manuscripts in a year. The average time to a decision on externally reviewed manuscripts is less than 70 days. Given this volume of submissions, the recent desk reject rate is about 90%.  

It is the Editor’s responsibility to work with the publisher to ensure the timely and accurate delivery of manuscripts for bi-monthly publication. The Editorial Office also works with the Book Review Editor with the aim of promoting the scholarship in the journal through a variety of mechanisms (e.g., blogs, classroom tools, podcasts, social media, and press releases). The Editor is accountable to SWS (through the Publications Committee) for accomplishing the goals of the journal within the budget. 

Editors have taken different approaches to the journal over the years. We strongly encourage prospective applicants to have a preliminary discussion of the work, key issues, resources provided, and expectations with Chairs of the Search Committee, Dr. Marlese Durr, Publications Committee Co-Chair and Dr. Daniela Jauk-Ajamie, Publications Committee Member. To set up a meeting, please email [email protected]. Members of SWS are encouraged to apply and/or suggest colleagues who might apply. Editorial teams, preferably at the same institution, are welcome to apply.