Just say no

Women must not be the sole drivers of gender equality in academia

There is an old management joke that the most urgent task should be given to the busiest person, as they will just get on with it. For many women in academia, that joke is beyond stale. 

Despite decades of gender equality actions, women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles and traditionally male-dominated fields. The latest She Figures study—gender statistics published every three years by the European Commission—reveal that women in academia tend to have more precarious work contracts, are more likely to work part time and earn, on average, 16 per cent less than men who do the same jobs.