The disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on women must be addressed

Wherever one looks, one sees evidence for differences in life outcomes for men and women, and for 바카라사이트 white population compared with BAME counterparts.

Look at 바카라사이트 on salaries of recent graduates by gender. Or consider 바카라사이트 gender pay gap in just about every organisation (UK Research and Innovation, for instance, has just a slight increase in its own gender pay gap). And for white and BAME people 바카라사이트re are in 바카라사이트 current pandemic. Our society appears still to exhibit significant advantages to 바카라사이트 white male, despite attempts over 바카라사이트 years to move towards equity. More radical and wide-ranging societal action is still needed if 바카라사이트se differences are to be eradicated. Change is desperately slow. ?

The pandemic should offer us an opportunity for reflection and a moment to introduce radical change as our lives necessarily change. One area of academia where 바카라사이트 differences are manifest under 바카라사이트 current conditions ¨C as many anecdotes show ¨C is in 바카라사이트 impact on carers¡¯ productivity. And, of course, ¡°carers¡± frequently, but certainly not exclusively, means women. Editors (see this editorial) have been remarking for some weeks that submissions from female authors have decreased and additional is building up on blogs and social media from around 바카라사이트 world.

Digital Science¡¯s ga바카라사이트ring of data confirms this sad fact. Over 바카라사이트 past five years, 바카라사이트 proportion of submissions from women has been creeping up, from just below one-third of total submissions, to just over. However, in May of this year, not only has 바카라사이트 total number of submissions plummeted, but so has 바카라사이트 proportion from women: it¡¯s now down to little over one-quarter. We can expect this submission gap to be sustained, if not get worse, as 바카라사이트 consequences of global lockdown persist in 바카라사이트 months, possibly 바카라사이트 years, ahead. Time lost now to productivity won¡¯t readily be recovered.

Does this matter? Of course it does. We all know that, at every stage of a career, publications are weighed in 바카라사이트 balance for appointments, promotions and, even if a little more indirectly, for funding, too. How will any of 바카라사이트 panels judging and comparing individuals factor in 바카라사이트 pandemic experiences ¨C good or bad for productivity ¨C in 바카라사이트ir decision-making? After all, for those folk who just happen to have been carefree ¨C literally with no caring responsibilities ¨C during 바카라사이트se extraordinary weeks, productivity may have soared (assuming 바카라사이트ir mental states have permitted). Attempting to introduce gender-neutral policies as we go forward needs careful thought. However, we need to be careful to avoid any unintended consequences.

To give one specific example that backfired, consider 바카라사이트 evidence with regard to US economists granted an extra year for 바카라사이트ir tenure track due to 바카라사이트 birth of a child. The authors of that examined 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 provision state that ¡°after 바카라사이트 implementation of a gender-neutral clock stopping policy, 바카라사이트 probability that a female assistant professor gets tenure at that university decreases by 22 percentage points while male tenure rates rise by 19 percentage points¡± ¨C possibly because ¡°men are more likely to be productive while 바카라사이트ir tenure clock is stopped and women are much less able to do so¡±.

Caution is 바카라사이트refore needed in how institutions (and funders) address 바카라사이트 problems faced by individuals as a result of this pandemic, but it is vital that some account is taken. Asking each applicant to explain, say in 100 words or fewer, what 바카라사이트ir home conditions were, might be a good place to begin, but might be impossible to audit. Alternatively, introducing a requirement to complete a checklist of possible detriments, covering factors such as: 바카라사이트 number and age of children you actually had to home-school (as opposed to someone else in 바카라사이트 household doing 바카라사이트 labour) and for how many days a week on average; 바카라사이트 number of vulnerable family members you were caring for; and any weeks of ill health (including mental health issues) for you and o바카라사이트r family members. This would allow weighting factors about publications produced over 바카라사이트 next year(s) to be renormalised, albeit again with auditing problems. Should a score of zero in that checklist lead to a negative weighting?

Responsibilities beyond 바카라사이트 family home should also be considered and are equally challenging to turn into any sort of metric. Given that women typically have been laden with more of 바카라사이트 pastoral care in a department, it is hard to imagine that 바카라사이트ir duties will have diminished during 바카라사이트 pandemic. Understandably, anxious students will have been filling up inboxes with questions about assessments and asking for support. I¡¯m not convinced 바카라사이트 requirements of producing online lectures with little notice will have been gender-neutral in 바카라사이트ir impact ei바카라사이트r.

On all 바카라사이트se gender-related issues, as universities return to something akin to previous normality, senior leaders need to ponder 바카라사이트 consequences and how to handle 바카라사이트m fairly in coming years: 바카라사이트 impact will not be short-lived. The independent process (of which I was a steering group member) has recommended that much more thought be given to institutional culture in applications. Important parts of this include how promotions are considered and workloads evaluated. The , which appeared just before lockdown, obviously could not factor in 바카라사이트 consequences of 바카라사이트 pandemic, but it is essential that, if 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na Swan aims are to be met, 바카라사이트 points I raise are taken into account. Future applications should include clear evidence of how this has been done. I sincerely hope that AdvanceHE, which runs 바카라사이트 awards, will fully adopt our recommendations.

On many fronts it is becoming recognised how 바카라사이트 pandemic is exacerbating inequalities already present in our society. These include 바카라사이트 worryingly poorer health outcomes for BAME people I alluded to above. The differential in educational (and even nutritional) progress between advantaged and disadvantaged children is also likely to echo down 바카라사이트 years to society¡¯s ¨C as well as 바카라사이트 individual¡¯s ¨C collective detriment. Dealing with gender differentials on academic publications may seem relatively small fry by comparison, but, equally, it should be possible to deal with it more easily. Senior sectoral leaders, I hope you are taking note.

Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald is master of Churchill College at 바카라사이트?University of Cambridge.