#university managers believe women themselves are primarily responsible for the gender imbalance in higher education, according to research published today. University of Limerick sociology professor Pat O’Connor said she surveyed 34 senior managers in universities here and found the majority believed women were the source of this “problem” and the focus must be on “fixing the women” rather than the system.
Who would have thought university management would be so resistant to the facts as to blame the problem on women rather than looking at systemic issues.
In the early days of high levels of female participation in the workforce, the accepted patriarchal model of management was all that existed.
As women slowly rose on the ladder of promotion, many individuals and organisations began to value the contribution women made to organisational leadership.
Many Universities are steeped in tradition and have been resistant to change in many areas. #gender diversity it seems is one of them.
Source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/universities-focus-on-fixing-the-women-rather-than-system-to-improve-gender-balance-in-academia-1.1760780