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the higher the ladder goes , the fewer opportunities exist for women . As such , men continue to dominate academia in higher ranks and there is a lack of female representation in the top academic positions . There is a need for women to occupy these higher positions in universities to encourage other women to aspire for similar positions to close this gap .
Untapped potential
Assessing gender inequity in academia .
By multiple authors
Gender inequity in academia exists across all traditional academic benchmarks , including grants and funding , publishing and citations , service , opportunities to attend professional development and conferences , and leadership opportunities . And , gender discrepancies result in a lack of representation of women in senior-level positions , increase burden and stress , and burnout .
GRANTS AND FUNDING When it comes to grants and funding , male academics consistently receive funding two to three times more often than females ( ARC , 2020 ). For example , an Australian Research Council ( ARC ) data review showed that 2,307 2019 grant recipients were men , compared to just 939 women .
The USA ’ s National Institute of Health found that in applicants where the primary investigator was female , they received 24 per cent less funding than their male counterparts . At the core , more funding results in more opportunities for research and , in turn , promotions and career advancement , which favours men at least three times more than women .
PUBLISHING AND CITATIONS Women only account for less than 30 per cent of published academic authorship . Although certain fields have higher female publication rates , there are much lower rates among the
STEM disciplines . Further to this , femalefirst authorship has remained stagnant and has even declined in certain journals .
And , while women may submit papers for publication less frequently than men , this could be a result of several interrelated factors , including a lack of female mentors , a lack of confidence , work-life imbalance , and a lack of submission invitations .
SERVICE Female academics tend to undertake internal service roles more often than males , resulting in fewer opportunities for leadership roles . Men are more likely to undertake external service roles , which may lead to greater opportunities . While service roles have the potential for promotion , they are time-consuming and often hinder research and other opportunities required for advancement .
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE
Career responsibilities , family obligations and travel expectations often impede women from participating in opportunities that can help them advance their careers .
Further , opportunities for professional development in leadership or management are more often provided to men than women . Not to mention , female academics often hold casual and sessional positions , resulting in them having to attend professional development sessions and conferences on their own time , unpaid .
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES While women more often hold leadership positions related to community engagement and teaching and learning ,
WHAT CAN INSTITUTIONS DO ABOUT GENDER INEQUITY ?
There are a number of areas for systemic intervention , including : ∞ Examination of legislation surrounding policy and practice on gender equity in academia
∞ Implementation of a gender-focused equity policy that incorporates family and carer responsibilities and work-life balance
∞ Mentorship opportunities to support women in achieving leadership roles
∞ Workshops aimed at identifying and confronting barriers to female advancement
∞ Address and break down structural barriers in academia and home life , such as lack of institutional support , academic culture , and shared caregiving responsibilities
∞ Challenge stereotypes and cultural norms about women ’ s role in academia through an increased presence of women in senior roles . There are also additional social considerations . It is widely reported that women carry the bulk of the domestic load irrespective of whether they have children or not . It is important to note that often women who hold careers in academia face an incredible dilemma between continuing to advance their career and having a family .
Women are faced with delaying having children or having no children at all if they want to advance their careers in academia . A disproportionate number of women in academia choose not to have children compared to other professions , and it is important to ask what systemic pressures may be at play .
Academia urgently requires systemic responses to gender inequity , and our findings have specific implications for policymakers and leaders . Let ’ s celebrate women in academia through ethical equity . ■
For full author details go to www . campusreview . com . au .
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