Substantial amounts of research and data detail the challenges female faculty face in the academy. These include unequal pay for similarly situated individuals, disparities between female representation within the professoriate and student population, and perceptions and accepted modes of behavior that have the effect of disenfranchising women as they pursue faculty careers. Continuing research is analyzing why these challenges occur and what can be done to change the trends. This article analyzes a variety of challenges that American female faculty face, with an emphasis on ascribed gender roles as a limiting career factor. It then provides a comparative portrait of conditions for female faculty in select other countries. Finally, it provides advice from female faculty and administrators who have successfully navigated what often appear to be the dangerous waters for women in higher education. (Contains 1 figure.)