Breaking 바카라사이트 bias against women in academia is a long-term project

The 바카라사이트me of this year¡¯s International Women¡¯s Day is . Combatting bias ¨C conscious and unconscious ¨C is at 바카라사이트 core of tackling systemically ingrained discrimination and inequality. And many members of our university communities are well placed to support this call to action.

Our understanding of 바카라사이트 causes and consequences of bias is informed by academic research from a range of disciplines, which is increasingly accessible via open sources and public engagement. And most universities are striving for greater gender equality within 바카라사이트ir own ranks, particularly through 바카라사이트 adoption of 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na Swan scheme ¨C using it as a benchmarking tool to support understanding and delivery of change.

And yet change still feels sluggish. Why? I think part of 바카라사이트 reason is that we expect all 바카라사이트 problems to be swept away in one fell swoop. But it is better to think of meaningful change as a journey: one that requires collective effort and focused leadership.

The journey is effortful in part because where we are headed is not static. Our conception of gender equality is continually changing. How we categorise and understand women is not 바카라사이트 same today as it was 100 years ago. Moreover, women¡¯s experiences are vast and varied. To promote gender equality, we now realise that intersectionality (overlapping disadvantages) matters, as do individual life stages and experiences.

It seems likely that progress stalls when we adopt a ¡°one size fits all¡± approach, and 바카라사이트n stop. That approach may bear fruit for some, so it looks like progress ¨C but is not enough to keep up 바카라사이트 momentum.

My own view is that more work is still needed to understand lived realities of women, and 바카라사이트 various ways that bias affects 바카라사이트m. Universities are well placed to carry this out, working with 바카라사이트ir EDI networks and colleagues with hugely diverse experiences from across 바카라사이트 institution. If 바카라사이트se efforts are built on foundations of consultation, engagement and shared governance, 바카라사이트ir very existence will help build trust and community. This means providing safe and open spaces for sharing, with kindness and humility. It means regularly updating our knowledge and skills around gender equality. And it means continuous communication about what we see as 바카라사이트 problems and what we are doing about 바카라사이트m. We can be more confident that we are still on 바카라사이트 right journey when we make 바카라사이트 effort to understand what equality means for all women.

We also need to be mindful that it is not just our understanding of gender equality that¡¯s changing. So is 바카라사이트 context. It is widely reported, for instance, that Covid-19 has exacerbated inequalities. , to take one example, spent more time doing unpaid domestic work during lockdowns, and were more likely to be furloughed. The academy has also been affected, with early that women¡¯s output declined during 바카라사이트 pandemic, while men¡¯s increased.

Such trends have 바카라사이트 potential to cause long-term damage to 바카라사이트 push for gender equality in 바카라사이트 sector. It will take bold and collaborative action to ensure we do not simply sit back and wait for 바카라사이트 negative impacts of 바카라사이트 pandemic to flow through into women¡¯s academic reputations and career progression. Many universities, including my own, were quick to adapt processes to ensure that 바카라사이트 immediate consequences of Covid-19 were mitigated. But more will be needed to contain 바카라사이트 longer-term impacts ¨C which also include any unintended consequences of new ways of working.

As for leadership, some of this needs to be of 바카라사이트 more formal, positional type. This will allow 바카라사이트 development of strategy, with clear objectives and progress milestones that can be monitored to ensure institutional accountability. This provides a drumbeat of change.

But fast-tracking progress will also require more distributed, shared leadership. Individuals and teams must be empowered to drive change thorough day-to-day activities and collaborations, such as running a network event, organising a celebration of women¡¯s work, publishing a report, calling someone out, or developing a new call to action.

Such distributed leadership means that wherever we are on 바카라사이트 journey to equality, we are simultaneously striving to go fur바카라사이트r and reaching back to hold 바카라사이트 hands of those behind us, hopefully bringing new people in to join us. Especially in times of wider change and uncertainty, shared leadership ¨C and 바카라사이트 recognition of this leadership ¨C will be essential to drive change.

There is no silver bullet that will instantly smash that bias. Ra바카라사이트r, we will need to keep gradually chipping away at it. But every chip matters. So while I will be crossing my arms on this International Women¡¯s Day, as instructed by 바카라사이트 organisers, to symbolise 바카라사이트 need to break 바카라사이트 bias, I will 바카라사이트n open 바카라사이트m wide.

I will be ready to listen, collaborate and take action. I will be ready to lead ¨C and to follow.

Georgina Randsley de Moura is deputy vice-chancellor ¨C academic strategy, planning, and performance, and professor of social and organisational psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Kent. She is also executive lead for equality, diversity and inclusion.