Abstract
Purpose. Over the decades, the field of communication has consolidated as a scientific discipline, fostering notable gender parity among researchers at a quantitative level, but not at a qualitative one. The primary objective of this research is to comprehensively analyse gender participation and inequalities in communication research in Spain across five decades. Methodology. To achieve this objective, gender participation in communication research in Spain was analysed based on 15,479 articles indexed in Scopus between 1968 and 2025. Results and conclusions. The findings indicate that the field has attained a remarkable level of quantitative parity, with a balanced distribution of male and female authors, in contrast to other disciplines. However, despite this parity, subtle qualitative inequalities persist. Women are underrepresented at the highest productivity levels and occupy more peripheral positions in academic leadership networks, reflecting the Matilda Effect. Collaboration patterns exhibit a slight trend toward gender homophily, with women participating less frequently in networks that enhance productivity and visibility. Original contribution. These findings highlight the need to move beyond strategies focused solely on quantitative inclusion and implement measures that address the structural dynamics of academic networks and institutional contexts shaping participation. Numerical parity is a necessary, yet insufficient, condition for gender equality in science.