We propose a diverse multicultural research project investigating the challenges faced by women with software engineering (SE) backgrounds re-entering academia and software development research after a career break. Unlike the IT industry, which provides supportive pathways like returnship programs, coding boot camps, and buddy systems, academia and research offer limited motivating opportunities for women to return. Disruptions due to factors such as pregnancy, immigration status, and lack of flexible work options can significantly impact women’s career progress, creating further barriers to returning as lecturers, professors, or senior researchers. Although many companies promote gender diversity policies, such measures are less prominent and often under-recognized within academic institutions. Our goal is to explore the specific challenges women encounter when re-entering academic/research roles compared to industry; to understand the institutional perspective, including a comparative analysis of existing policies and opportunities in different countries for women to return to the field; and finally, to provide recommendations that support transparent hiring practices. The research project will be carried out in multiple universities and in multiple countries to capture the diverse challenges and policies that vary by location.