Gender Inequality in the Higher Education Workforce
Significant gender inequities persist in Australian Universities despite extensive efforts by universities to establish policy and practice frameworks to address gender inequity.
The Facts
Women comprise 60% employees at Australian Universities. Nevertheless, there are two distinct patterns of gender division in employment across Australian Universities, one horizontal and the other vertical. Using data extracted from Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Staff Time Series for 2021, women account for 64% of professional staff and men 36%. Among academic staff, women are concentrated in Humanities and Social Sciences and Health. Male academics outnumber women in Science, Information Technology, Agriculture and Engineering.
In terms of vertical inequity, in 2021, men comprised almost double the number of women employed full-time at Senior Lecturer Level and above, even in fields of study where women predominate as students and post-graduates, such as society and culture and health (Graphs 1 and 2). Women account for 63% of academics employed at Level B and C and only 23% of those employed above this at D or E (Universities Australia, 2022). Conversely, men account for 37% of academics at level B and C, and 67% of academics at Levels D and E.
While women are better represented at Executive level in universities compared to the business sector, women account for a quarter of Vice-Chancellors, and 37% of Deputy Vice Chancellors (Universities Australia, 2023). The Executive leadership of universities continues to be male-dominated.
The Impacts
Inclusive organisations are more likely to be innovative and productive work-places with positive morale and corporate loyalty. Conversely, organisations characterised by rigid gender segregation across role fields where men dominate the hierarchy of command tend to stymie the academic careers of women and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. In turn, this impacts staff morale, staff retention and satisfaction (Monroe et al, 2008).
How can Universities Address this Problem?
There are several ways that universities can address this chronic problem.
- Leading organisational culture change to enhance inclusion
- Providing mentoring for women in higher education to improve their career success
- Providing equity scholarships, especially for academics returning from parental leave.
- Support the work-life balance needs in designing family-friendly teaching timetables.
- Reviewing the unconscious bias in selection and promotion processes and criteria.
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