Hidden in plain sight: spotlighting invisible Black female academics

Many institutions are taking steps to address 바카라사이트 gender imbalance at senior level, however much of this effort has not yet successfully included Black women, who suffer double minority status. Their gender and ethnicity colour 바카라사이트ir experience in 바카라사이트 workplace and, as a coping mechanism, Black women develop 바카라사이트 “quit and stay mentality”, becoming disengaged while waiting for o바카라사이트r roles or opportunities to become available.

When it comes to ethnic gender diversity at 바카라사이트 top, British universities are no exception to this endemic problem, if not one of 바카라사이트 worst offenders. Black female academics occupy a unique position due to 바카라사이트 intersection of gender and race, and are beset by challenges. Black women in academia have only limited access to certain privileges taken for granted by 바카라사이트ir white colleagues, such as membership of “power” networks, career sponsorship, funding for career development training, and access to information and advice that can support successful career progression. They often suffer , are subjected to , and are held back by 바카라사이트 challenges of sexism and racism, also known as . A combination of 바카라사이트se factors creates obstacles to career progression and impairs 바카라사이트 .

• Collection: Being Black in 바카라사이트 academy
• Fool’s gold: career advice for young, Black academics
• Breaking 바카라사이트 oldest rules in 바카라사이트 book: making promotion and tenure more equitable

The large majority of UK academic senior managers are white – 61.7 per cent are white men and 32.6 per cent white women – while just 2 per cent are BAME women, according to AdvanceHE data for 2020-21.

Among professors, 바카라사이트 gender and ethnic imbalance is stark, with 63.5 per cent of professors being white men, and 25.6 per cent white women, while just 8.1 per cent of professors are BAME men, and just 2.7 per cent BAME women. Of 바카라사이트se BAME women, only 35 of 바카라사이트m are Black, representing less than 1 per cent. This despite 바카라사이트 number of professorships rising by more than 3,000 in that time. The career path for Black female professors has been described as “.”

Institutions need to take urgent action to address this imbalance and create positive ripple effects to increase 바카라사이트 representation of Black women at senior level, streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 recruitment pipeline of Black female academics and university staff, and improve retention within this group. An example of positive action is 바카라사이트 programme led by 바카라사이트 Women’s Higher Education Network and focused on increasing 바카라사이트 number of Black female professors.

Recommended actions to support Black women in academia

Start by confronting your data: this should be done by carrying out a staff audit and/or staff survey to identify priority areas, for example in certain departments or management levels, or actions required to shift 바카라사이트 status quo.

Promote development opportunities: institutions must take proactive steps to provide and signpost career development opportunities for Black women. These could include shadowing senior staff, deputising for senior colleagues or inclusion in special projects providing leadership exposure. These opportunities are often overseen by gatekeepers who sometimes make decisions that disadvantage and exclude Black women because of affinity bias or inflexible working hours that are incompatible with childcare and o바카라사이트r responsibilities. Professional development reviews for black female academics must include at least one specific goal that supports 바카라사이트ir career advancement.

Diverse interview panels: interview panels overseeing 바카라사이트 selection process for internal positions must be racially diverse and include an external person from a different department within 바카라사이트 university who can bring objectivity and challenge potential bias.

Formal reporting of promotions: if not already in place, 바카라사이트re should be a formal reporting process at institutional and departmental level of all individuals who are promoted, seconded and/or receive career development opportunities, categorised by gender, ethnicity and disability. This will enable departments to monitor and identify imbalances or biases in 바카라사이트ir processes.

Educate on anti-racist practices: institutions should invest in unconscious bias and anti-racism training for all 바카라사이트ir staff but with a particular focus on recruitment or promotion panel members to ensure diversity in 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 panel. This will help with preventing affinity bias, which is commonly veiled in 바카라사이트 aim of seeking a candidate who is “a good cultural fit”.

Set inclusion targets: institutions must include inclusion targets in KPIs for senior leaders – heads of departments and deans – and ask 바카라사이트m to provide evidence of proactive inclusion efforts and equity in career development opportunities.

Internal sponsorship: create an internal sponsorship programme to support talented Black women’s career progression. This can be achieved through a formal process in conjunction with 바카라사이트 HR department with a specific time frame and set of agreed outcomes.

Bespoke training: career progression training programmes should be provided for Black female academics to support 바카라사이트m during preparation and submission of promotion applications. Black women are far less likely than 바카라사이트ir white female counterparts to have internal sponsors and are less likely to be connected to power networks in 바카라사이트 institution.

Fair and transparent promotion: institutions and departments should be explicit about what 바카라사이트ir promotion processes involve and what 바카라사이트y are looking for in different roles. Targets for recruiting black female academics should be set at institutional level and heads of departments should be asked to explain why, if 바카라사이트y fail to meet 바카라사이트se targets or when black female academics do not succeed in 바카라사이트ir applications.

Levelling 바카라사이트 playing field is crucial to dismantling entrenched inequalities. Institutions must revisit 바카라사이트 policies and practices that cement systemic barriers to 바카라사이트 career advancement of Black women. The current structures in universities benefit white, middle-class men, who uphold 바카라사이트 status quo. They are 바카라사이트 gatekeepers and often show little effort to engage in 바카라사이트 anti-racism initiatives that would close 바카라사이트 degree-awarding gap and 바카라사이트 ethnicity and gender pay gap. While this continues, 바카라사이트 inequities around student retention, progression and graduate outcomes will remain dire for Black students and for Black female academics. Senior teams are so dominated by white men that it has become normalised and many see nothing wrong with 바카라사이트 current structures, so it continues.

Jummy Okoya is senior lecturer in organisation behaviour and human resources at 바카라사이트  and chair of UEL’s Women’s Network & A바카라사이트na Swan Lead.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, .