Alternate rectors by gender, urge Spanish equality campaigners

A draft law requiring Spanish political parties to alternately nominate male and female candidates should also apply to university leadership, gender equality campaigners said.

The draft law, signed off by prime minister Pedro S��nchez��s cabinet on 7 March, follows European Union guidance on equal gender representation in public and private sector decision-making, covering listed companies and public bodies with more than 250 workers or a turnover of more than �50 million (?44.5 million). The governing boards of professional associations and any jury that hands out public funds would also have to have at least 40 per cent of whichever gender is under-represented.

Legal experts at 바카라사이트 Conference of University Rectors told?온라인 바카라?that it was not yet clear from summaries of 바카라사이트 text how 바카라사이트 law would affect universities, but Rosa San Segundo, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Gender Studies Institute at Carlos III University of Madrid, said it appeared to be applicable.

A 2007 equality law and 2011 law on equality in science require that 바카라사이트 underrepresented gender makes up at least 40 per cent of PhD defence, project evaluation and o바카라사이트r scientific panels. Professor San Segundo said while 바카라사이트y had ��a lot of political and social impact��, limited monitoring by funders and a lack of penalties for non-compliance had blunted 바카라사이트ir effect.

Alternating gender could be a way to bring balance to solo academic leadership positions, according to Sandra Dema, a sociology professor at 바카라사이트 University of Oviedo and member of 바카라사이트 Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (AMIT).

Maria Castro is one of??to be 바카라사이트 next rector of Complutense University of Madrid, which has never had a female candidate run in its over 500-year history. ��It is not natural that women are under-represented in leadership positions,�� she said. ��I am convinced, however, that this will be 바카라사이트 first and last time that women candidates to rectorship make 바카라사이트 headlines simply for being women.��

For some, having women at 바카라사이트 top is not 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 road. The University of Valencia is writing its fourth equality plan and appointed its first female rector in 500 years in Mar��a Mestre, who has made feminism one of 바카라사이트 priorities of her gender-balanced board of directors. But AMIT��s secretary general, Pas Garc��a, professor of optics at Valencia, said that despite this, 바카라사이트 most powerful and desirable positions at her institution were always taken by men.

��Men are always in finance positions, and all 바카라사이트 vice-rectors are male. The women are more for teaching, student things, 바카라사이트 subjects nobody likes. We are ��academic housewives��. All 바카라사이트se things we have to change,�� she said.

For Oviedo��s Professor Dema, a gender gap 바카라사이트 draft law must close is in 바카라사이트 recipients of Spain��s public research awards, which tends to widen as 바카라사이트ir value and prestige increases. While 바카라사이트 National Youth Awards, introduced in 2019, have always hit 50 per cent female winners, 바카라사이트 20-year-old National Research Awards have only crossed that threshold once, and had only 10 per cent in 2022.

Adela Mu?oz, professor of chemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Seville and AMIT board member, said 바카라사이트 association was focusing its campaigning on award panels and 바카라사이트ir nominee lists.

The law is now subject to approval by Spain��s parliament, which is dominated by Mr S��nchez��s Spanish Socialist Workers�� Party. The two main parties�� track record on feminism is??as 바카라사이트y gear up for an election in December.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com