Women in the Higher Education Sector

Abstract

On 12 July 2006, the funding body for higher education reported that the equality gap in Higher Education (HE) was narrowing and that the proportion of women in academic posts had risen to 36% and at professorial level had doubled to 19%. Although this represented an improvement on earlier figures, it remains apparent that women are still under-represented at senior level in academia and that the glass ceiling has not yet been fully removed. This article reports on the key findings of a small-scale study into the progression of women in HE which focused on academic staff at the University of Bradford. The project has sought to further the understanding of why women still appear to experience barriers to progression within universities, despite explicit policies aimed at removing those barriers. The emphasis was on how law and policy has addressed this problem and on whether the approach universities have chosen is effective. The research strategy employed a socio-legal methodology. It involved the analysis of law and policy at institutional, national and European level. This analysis was then complemented with in-depth empirical work comprising 30 semi-structured interviews with male and female academics employed at the University of Bradford. In addition, some basic analysis was also made of statistics provided by the university. The Equality Act of 2006 places a general duty on all public authorities, when carrying out their functions, to eliminate discrimination and harassment that is unlawful under the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and promotes equality of opportunity between men and women. The research report found that the duty is taken seriously by the University of Bradford, which has an equality strapline of 'Confronting inequality: Celebrating diversity' together with a variety of policies and schemes to improve and promote gender equality. These were examined as part of this study and were found to be comprehensive and well thought out. A general gender equality scheme is well supported by a number of other policies dealing with issues such as harassment and bullying, maternity, paternity and adoption leave and flexible working. Other policies which may impact on woman's progression, such as those relating to promotions and rewards procedures, were also examined. The research concluded that, on paper, the university was committed to the promotion of equality and met its statutory obligations.