Addressing gender inequality in higher education in the UK

1. Addressing gender inequality in higher education in the UK • University of Barcelona • Nicola Dandridge • Chief Executive, Equality Challenge Unit • 4th December 2007

2. Gender inequality in higher education • Gender inequality in higher education – facts, figures and issues • Strategies and initiatives for gender equality • The developing legal and social context • The work of Equality Challenge Unit

3. UK academic staff • Lecturers : 53% men and 47% women • Senior/principal lecturers : 67% men and 33% women • Professors/Heads of Department : 83% men and 17% women • Source : Higher Education Statistics Agency 2005/0

4. UK academics in science • Undergraduates (full time): 66% men and 34% women • Postgraduates (full time) : 70% men and 30% women • Lecturers : 77% men and 23% women • Professors : 93% men and 7% women • Source : UK Resource Centre for Women in SET, 2007

5. UK administration and management • Administrative/clerical roles : 17% men and 83% women • Managers : 55% men and 45% women • Source : Higher Education Statistics Agency 2005/06

6. Gender issues in higher education • Unequal representation • Subject segregation • The pay gap : 14.1% (HESA, 2005/06) • Impact of research assessment exercise (RAE) - ‘Selection of staff for inclusion in RAE2001’, Hefce 2006 • Women not applying for promotions, and lack of transparency in procedures • Long hours culture and issues of work-life balance

7. Gender issues : men • Male participation in higher education : 45.7% male full time first degree undergraduates, and 39% part time in 2005/06 (45.9% and 39.5% in 2004/05) • Degree attainment : women perform significantly better than men, except in relation to ‘firsts’ where no significant difference, ‘Ethnicity and Degree Attainment, DfES 2006 • Men’s participation in family care

8. Strategies to address gender inequality • Encouraging women to apply for appointments and promotions • Mentoring • Role models • Women’s networks • The supply chain : subject choice and aspirations at school

9. Strategies to address gender inequality: changing the institution • Role and attitudes of the Vice Chancellor/Principal and managers • Visible commitment – policies and public statements • Review of promotions processes – role of peer review • Role of recruitment consultants • Provision of support during and on return from maternity leave • Flexible working

10. The legal context • 6 legally protected equality categories • Originally gender, race, and disability • Religion and belief and sexual orientation (since 2003) and age (since 2006) • Individual rights • - staff and students • - Direct, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation

11. The public sector duties • Proactive duty, as opposed to reactive response • Arose as a result of Stephen Lawrence Inquiry • The gender duty, 2007, following on from race and disability duties • Public authorities must “have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women” • Specific duties require consideration of the need to include objectives to address the causes of any gender pay gap

12. The Equalities Review, 2007 • Government appointed review of equality in the UK • Identifies inequality by reference to disadvantage • Inequality in employment • Increasing acknowledgement of intersections and multiple discrimination

13. Equality and Human Rights Commission • Established October 2007 following merger of Equal Opportunities Commission, Disability Rights Commission, and Commission for Racial Equality • Also covers sexual orientation, religion and belief, age and human rights • Mission statement:‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.’

14. Proposed Single Equality Act • New draft bill, due end of 2008 • Will harmonise legislation • Proposed single equality duty • Move away from focus on individual equality groups, and emphasis on social cohesion and relations between groups

15. Equality Challenge Unit • Established in 2001 to promote equality for staff in higher education • Remit extended in 2006 to include students • Funded by the 4 UK funding Councils, Universities UK and GuildHE • Works closely with national equality commissions, but independent

16. Equality Challenge Unit • Covers England, Wales, Northern Ireland • Funded to work with Equality Forward in Scotland • A charitable company, with offices in London and devolved regional/national networks • Chair of Board of Directors - John Brooks, VC at Manchester Metropolitan University • 14 staff, based in London

17. Mission statement • Equality Challenge Unit supports the higher education sector in its mission to realise the potential of all staff and students whatever their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or age, to the benefit of those individuals, higher education institutions and society.

18. Equality Challenge Unit strategy 2007-2010 • The strategy has three broad objectives: • To develop an authoritative system for identifying and measuring equality and diversity in the sector, and to assess the impact of initiatives; • To support HEIs in implementing effective equality practices and to disseminate good practice; • To develop programmes that support sustained institutional change

19. Equality Challenge Unit programme 2007 • Equality data • Supporting compliance (eg equality duties; new Regulations) • Working with institutional functions : equality in admissions /estates/ finance strategies/ student unions/ careers advisors etc • Athena Swan • Degree attainment • Flexible working

20. 7th Floor Queens House • 55/56 Lincoln's Inn Fields • London • WC2A 3LJ • Tel: 0207 438 1010 • Fax: 0207 438 1011 • www.ecu.ac.uk