This article is the result of research with female students at the Universidade Federal Fronteira Sul - UFFS. The study is linked to the previous recognition that there is an increase in female representation in higher education courses, as well as in some spaces of productive work, resulting from the feminist struggles. However, despite these advances, we presume that, quite apart from the positive aspects, there are difficulties in the daily lives of these academics, which led to the following question: What are the potentialities, limits and challenges faced by female academics who joined the university after a period of interruption in their studies? The central objective was to analyze the relationships between academic requirements and other attributions linked to the different forms that work takes on in the lives of women over 30 years of age. We applied to 27 questionnaires, The analysis was carried out confronting the data collected in the field research with explanatory theories derived from bibliographical research. Discussions on inequality were present, considering generational, gender and social class aspects. Based on the results, we observed that most of the participants refer to positive aspects of their entry into the UFFS, by the offer of training that expands their awareness. On the other hand, they considered that older women face greater challenges. The research also points out that, in addition to paid work, socially considered feminine activities have an impact on academic life, excessively burdening women from the popular classes.
