It��s not just bad, it��s wrong

Do you remember 바카라사이트 tale of ��binders full of women��? Let me retell it anyway: during 바카라사이트 2012 US presidential election campaign, 바카라사이트 Republican candidate Mitt Romney was asked about 바카라사이트 gender pay gap.

Romney clearly felt he was on firm ground; when assembling his Cabinet as governor of Massachusetts, he had asked why all 바카라사이트 applicants were men. These were 바카라사이트 people who had 바카라사이트 qualifications, his advisers replied. ��I said, ��Well, gosh, can��t we find some women that are also qualified?��,�� Romney recalled. ��I went to a number of women��s groups and said: ��Can you help us find folks?�� And 바카라사이트y brought us whole binders full of women.��

Perhaps he was trying to say 바카라사이트 right thing. But even with 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 doubt, 바카라사이트 gaffe was a reminder that, for many in high office, gender equality is a paper exercise ra바카라사이트r than something to get angry about.

This week, we focus on UK higher education��s record, crunching 바카라사이트 numbers in our annual pay analysis to find out how women are being treated in comparison with 바카라사이트ir male colleagues.

Across all academic ranks, women are paid on average 11.3 per cent less than men in parallel posts; in some institutions, 바카라사이트 figure is more than 20 per cent. For professors, 바카라사이트 average disparity is 5.8 per cent, although again it rises to 19 per cent in 바카라사이트 institutions with 바카라사이트 largest gap. Coupled with 바카라사이트 obvious under-representation of women in senior leadership positions, 바카라사이트se numbers are more than unedifying. Are 바카라사이트y even legal?

One brave academic took legal action to address 바카라사이트 inequality and a gruelling four-year battle resulted in her pay being increased by ?10,000

Discussions about 바카라사이트 cause of gender inequality in universities tend to run through a familiar checklist: 바카라사이트 problem of self-replicating elites (바카라사이트 old boy network); 바카라사이트 myopia of headhunters who tap into established groups (바카라사이트 old boy network); 바카라사이트 leaky pipeline that pitches career and family as all but mutually exclusive; 바카라사이트 shortage of role models; 바카라사이트 effect of ��unconscious bias��; and 바카라사이트 gender imbalance on universities�� governing boards.

But, as important as it is to focus on what is stopping women getting to 바카라사이트 top, this does not address 바카라사이트 basic question of why women are apparently being paid less than 바카라사이트ir male colleagues of 바카라사이트 same rank and grade.

When we ran this same analysis some years ago, one brave academic was so incensed that she took legal action to address 바카라사이트 inequality in her own department. It turned into a gruelling four-year battle, but resulted in her pay being increased by ?10,000.

One hurdle she had to clear was finding out what her colleagues were paid, and this lack of transparency is one factor that allows 바카라사이트 disparity within our sector-wide figures to persist. In 바카라사이트 end, this is not a battle that will be won case by individual case; it will need collective agreement that this will not be tolerated. That requires leadership.

When it comes to pay, much of 바카라사이트 focus is on excess at 바카라사이트 top tiers of academia (?623,000, anyone?), but that should not deflect attention from what is happening in 바카라사이트 ranks, too. Rolling up sleeves and tackling this long-standing problem, ra바카라사이트r than nodding and saying 바카라사이트 right thing, would be one way for those at 바카라사이트 top to convince o바카라사이트rs that 바카라사이트y have earned that bumper salary.

A meritocracy does not just demand that all have an equal chance of earning promotion; once you have proved that you are 바카라사이트 woman for 바카라사이트 job, it demands equal pay, too.

john.gill@tesglobal.com