Women in leadership

Women in leadership

Gender inequality in higher education is evident in the low number of women in leadership positions.

Career progression in higher education is often related to research and research leadership and men are 3 times more likely than women to reach the top in research-oriented institutions. In 2015, only 21% of full professors in the EU 28 (including the UK) were women. Since these groups represent the pool of those eligible to become rectors, it is not surprising that in 2017, only 21.7% of the heads of higher education institutions at EU-level were women. Despite female students generally outnumber male students, there is a wide disparity between different subject areas: while men are underrepresented in teaching, women are underrepresented in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). In the latter, the attrition rate for women increases at each level of higher education, leaving only 11% of women at the top level.

To address gender inequality in leadership, a summary and state of the art report will be developed as part of the SMILE project. Besides, one section of the audit model which allows HEIs to self-reflect on how they are addressing diversity, will address women leadership. A CPD course will be designed for both academic and non-academic university staff to understand  the challenges of women face trying to reach leadership positions in higher education, with the objective that they later explain the situation to students or alumni. Finally, a set of policy recommendations will provide institutional leaders and decision makers with ideas on how to implement changes and promote women leadership.

You can watch now our webinar on Women in Leadership in HE organised by Maynooth University (IE), University of Cagliari (IT) and NOTUS (ES).

SMILE CPD course for HE staff on Women in leadership

For many years women have been under-represented in leadership despite high numbers of women working across colleges and universities more broadly (SMILE, 2021). This course is about asking why is that the case and about devising practical ways in which education providers might address this problem. 

You can now download the course and start using it straight away. This course is self-contained.

You can download this CPD in English clicking the button above, and also its translated version in German, Spanish, Finnish, French, Italian or Romanian from below.

Note: the original version of this CPD has been written in English. If you find any incongruence when you use the translated version, please refer to the original document in English for clarification. Thank you. 

Explore our other SMILE pillars: 

Don't forget that SMILE has developed a CPD Introductory course to Diversity!

You can download it clicking the button below: