ASSET survey report: women in SET in universities still invisible and disadvantaged

The latest ASSET survey has found that women working in science, engineering and technology in higher education continue to feel disadvantaged and excluded in a number of ways. 

More than 7,000 men and women – working at junior and senior levels - took part the major survey, from 420 departments in 84 universities. The last ASSET survey took place in the UK four years ago. The latest results show that despite some progress, many of the same challenges remain:

• Women are still more likely to work part time, to be on temporary contracts and to experience interruptions to their career.
• Men are more likely to hold prestigious titles such as Fellow, and to have won a prize for their work.
• Women clearly felt themselves to be at a disadvantage with regard to promotion.
• Men are more likely to be encouraged to take on activities that contribute to their career development and they are more likely to apply for a promotion.
• Women rate family support highly in their careers, while men value positive responses to their professional activities, research, teaching and other successes.
• Women tended to feel they had less access to and support from their superiors.
• Visibility was a significant finding – men have greater external visibility through being published or on panels and advisory groups. Male academics still occupy more positions of power and influence.

“This survey provides an essential, evidence-based snap shot of the situation in higher education,” said Annette Williams, the Director of the UKRC. “We clear still have a long way to go and the report must be seen as a call to action.

“At the UKRC, we recognize experience of academics that the findings document. Importantly, the report confirms that many initiatives now in place are on the right track. We need role models, mentoring and other programmes that help women build skills, confidence and profile. But above all, we need structural change, so that policies and practices that underpin the work culture of our universities are transformed. This is work we undertake at the UKRC, with partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

“We are delighted to see in the ASSET report that women and science initiatives are being noticed,” Annette Williams added. “At the UKRC our Connect network brings together more than one hundred such initiatives, in higher education and elsewhere. These initiatives provide vital insight and support, and are key to helping women gain a stronger foothold at all levels in science, engineering and technology. They need to exist in tandem with mainstream initiatives led by senior management."

The UKRC is part of a European FP7 project which is exploring gender equality, organisational change and the careers of women researchers in science, engineering and technology, which will report its findings over the next four years.

For reflections on the 2011 ASSET survey, visit the blog of Professor Athene Donald.

The Athena Forum: The Forum aims to provide a strategic oversight of developments that seek to, or have proven to, advance the career progression and representation of women in science, technology, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) in UK higher education. 

ASSET: The Athena Survey of Science, Engineering and Technology (ASSET) was established in 2003 by the Athena Project in support of its aims – the advancement of women in science, engineering, and technology in higher education and research and a corresponding significant increase in the number of women in top posts. 

The ASSET Survey: ASSET is a web based survey of scientists working in UK universities. It explores areas identified by the Athena Project as important to career progression and how far the apparent differences in men’s and women’s progression can be related to the organisation and culture of science in universities. It is designed to:

• capture information on science career pathways, and the experiences, expectations and perceptions of academics of what contributes to successful career progression;

• raise awareness of the issues of career progression for women in science;

• illuminate the differences - real and perceived - in men’s and women’s experiences of science in universities;

• develop the evidence base to underpin action planning, implementation and evaluation;

• enable universities to measure their progress and benchmark it against the UK position.

For more information about the work of the UKRC with organisations and women's groups and networks, email info@theukrc.org