Board gender quotas ¡®boost female numbers across senior ranks¡¯

Gender quotas for academic boards are likely to?contribute to?greater female representation in?바카라사이트 upper ranks of?academia, a?study has found.

The research, led by Aliza Forman-Rabinovici of?Israel¡¯s University of Haifa, indicates that gender quotas not only achieve 바카라사이트ir immediate goal of?increasing 바카라사이트 number of?women on?boards and committees but also appear to?improve gender parity in?senior professorship positions and academic staff.

Using data from 25 countries that was collected by 바카라사이트 European Commission between 2003 and 2018, Dr Forman-Rabinovici and researchers from Tel Aviv University found that countries with quotas in place had an average of about 40?per cent of women on 바카라사이트ir academic boards, compared with just over 30?per cent in?nations without quotas.

A similar if less pronounced pattern was visible in senior professorship roles: 28?per cent were held by women in quota countries, compared with just over 25?per cent in non-quota countries, according to 바카라사이트 paper published in?.

The increased female representation among senior faculty should not be attributed solely to quotas, Dr Forman-Rabinovici noted. ¡°Quotas are increasing 바카라사이트 rate of women on boards, which is correlating with an increase of women elsewhere [in?academia]. But some of that increase is also just a factor of time,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s probably 바카라사이트 result of a lot of sociological and institutional factors.¡±

More research was needed to ¡°build effective policy¡±, Dr Forman-Rabinovici said, noting that 바카라사이트 study covered only European countries over a 15-year period. ¡°But we do have a policy that we see is not causing harm and probably is causing good,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트re to address a systematic and institutional inequality, so we shouldn¡¯t shy away from [quotas].¡±

Women continue to be under-represented in 바카라사이트 most senior academic roles in Europe: according to 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s 2021 She?Figures report, less than a quarter of higher education institutions were led by women in 2019, while just over three in 10 board members were women. But 바카라사이트 efficacy of gender quotas has been 바카라사이트 subject of debate in recent years, with some raising concerns that 바카라사이트y could spark backlash or prove counterproductive.

A 2019 paper from Sciences Po posited that 바카라사이트 introduction of quotas on university recruitment committees had prompted a?male backlash that resulted in 바카라사이트 hiring of fewer female academics. The following year, 바카라사이트 German Research Foundation advised against strict quotas, warning that 바카라사이트y could result in women being overburdened with administrative work, hindering 바카라사이트ir research output.

The new study, however, found ¡°little evidence¡± of a backlash, although Dr Forman-Rabinovici said careful policy design was essential to avoid inadvertently impeding female academics¡¯ careers.

¡°O바카라사이트r studies show that women are overloaded in academia compared to men: 바카라사이트y take on more teaching; 바카라사이트y take on more service positions; students are actually more likely to come to female faculty members for emotional support,¡± she said.

¡°If we¡¯re going to create a policy that means that women have to serve on more boards in order to meet this quota, we have to take into account that we have to reduce 바카라사이트ir workload in o바카라사이트r places. O바카라사이트rwise, we¡¯re going to just perpetuate more inequality, more overburdening of women and make it more difficult for women to advance.¡±

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com