The Guardian homeBy Carol Black and Asiya Islam. Women need to build self-confidence and promote themselves. But is this enough? Or does real change imply breaking down the structures that favour men? Two insiders have their say.
More than 50 senior Cambridge academics called on the university last week to change the way it appoints staff because the current system favours men and stops women reaching their potential. In a letter, the academics – who include heads of colleges and departments – said a wider range of contributions such as teaching, administration and outreach work should be valued. The current system puts too much emphasis on prominently published papers or large research grants.
Despite accounting for 45% of the academic workforce, women hold only 20% of professorships in UK universities, and just 15.3% of such posts in Cambridge. We hear from two women in higher education on what's needed to increase the number of women in senior positions in UK universities. Read more...