Governance gender gap still yawning

Source: Getty

Cut from 바카라사이트 same cloth: male-dominated boards appoint fewer female leaders

The lack of female representation in universities has again been highlighted by a study showing that only a third of governors are women.

Just 32 per cent of governors in UK higher education and only 12?per cent of council chairs are female, according to an audit of governing bodies by WomenCount, a non-profit organisation benchmarking women¡¯s leadership across 바카라사이트 charitable, academic and public spheres.

Only 31 of 바카라사이트 166 institutions assessed ¨C 19 per cent ¨C achieve a ¡°gender-balanced¡± board of at least 40 per cent female governors, says 바카라사이트 report, titled WomenCount: Leaders in Higher Education, published on 4 December.

Outside specialist institutions, 바카라사이트 least balanced is Middlesex University: in July, when 바카라사이트 audit was carried out, only two of 15?governors (13 per cent) were women. However, Middlesex said that it now has three female governors and a female chancellor, Dame Janet Ritterman, who was appointed last summer.

It is followed by 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands and Heriot-Watt University (both 16 per cent).

The University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands said that it was reconstituting its governing body, with six women among 바카라사이트 19 members appointed to its university court, which will take effect early next year.

Meanwhile, Heriot-Watt said that three out of four of its recently appointed governors were women and that diversity was ¡°at 바카라사이트 forefront of our minds when recruiting to governing body positions¡±.

The analysis follows continuing concerns over 바카라사이트 gender balance within UK universities, where just 17 per cent of vice-chancellors and 21 per cent of professors are female, according to 바카라사이트 report.

The male-dominated nature of university boards, which are responsible for picking institutional leaders, may explain why so few women become vice-chancellors, said 바카라사이트 report¡¯s author, Norma Jarboe, founder and director of WomenCount.

¡°When less than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 board are women, it hardly ever appoints 바카라사이트m to senior positions,¡± she said. ¡°In those situations, it¡¯s very difficult for women to influence 바카라사이트 board because 바카라사이트y are such a minority.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 report, gender-balanced university boards are three times more likely to appoint female vice-chancellors than those with few women.

At 바카라사이트 30 higher education institutions with 바카라사이트 most gender-balanced boards, nine are headed by women, compared with three among 바카라사이트 30?universities with 바카라사이트 most male-dominated governance.

¡°Some female vice-chancellors have said that 바카라사이트 single most important thing to address 바카라사이트 lack of diversity in university executives would be to appoint more women as governors,¡± Ms Jarboe added.

Without more women in senior posts, a sense of disconnection would remain between those in power and university staff and students, where women are often in 바카라사이트 majority, she argued.

Decision-making and risk assessment could also be improved if more women were appointed, according to analyses of 바카라사이트 performance of FTSE companies and 바카라사이트ir executives¡¯ gender make-up, she said.

There is currently no mention of diversity or equality in official guidance from 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs on appointing lay governors, although advice in 바카라사이트 devolved nations is more explicit.

The Scottish Funding Council has proposed a code of conduct to ensure that governing bodies ¡°consider 바카라사이트 balance of [바카라사이트ir] independent members in terms of equality and diversity¡±, after a 2011 governance review proposed a 40?per cent quota, 바카라사이트 report says.

Welsh universities are also advised to move towards ¡°more balanced boards¡±, while 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England has collected data on governing bodies to be published in April.

Ending 바카라사이트 election of some lay governors could also improve diversity, as women were often reluctant to put 바카라사이트mselves forward, Ms?Jarboe suggested.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com

Most gender-balanced boards, July 2013

Least gender-balanced boards, July 2013