Category Archives: gender pay gap

Another Year, Another IWD: What’s Changed?

Posted on 8 March 2025 by Athene Donald

Every year International Women’s Day sparks a momentary bout of reflection about the state of women in our society. The  House of Lords has an annual debate, for instance, this year about women in STEM.  Social media will showcase many … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Barbara Castle, EPSRC, Equal Pay Act, Equality, gender pay gap, Women in science | Comments Off on Another Year, Another IWD: What’s Changed?

How Many ‘Firsts’ does it take to Change a System?

Posted on 13 October 2019 by Athene Donald

As the new academic year starts in Cambridge the University Library is  marking 150 years of women studying here, even if admission to degrees came much later in 1948. Collectively we can also note that for the first time essentially … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, gender pay gap, Lucy Marshall, Sally Davies, Sonita Alleyne, University Library, Women in science | Comments Off on How Many ‘Firsts’ does it take to Change a System?

The Only Woman in the Room

Posted on 1 June 2018 by Athene Donald

As the Master of a Cambridge College it probably isn’t surprising that I get asked to talk about Leadership, and often more specifically Women in Leadership/as Leaders, but there is nothing that brings out the inner impostor in me faster … Continue reading →

Posted in board membership, Equality, gender pay gap, Philip Hampton | Comments Off on The Only Woman in the Room

Are Women Underpaid?

Posted on 9 April 2018 by Athene Donald

The deadline is past for companies in the UK employing more than 250 employees to report their gender pay gap. The numbers are not pretty and the University sector is no different from other types of employers in manifesting an … Continue reading →

Posted in equal pay, Equality, gender pay gap, Unconscious bias, Women in science | Comments Off on Are Women Underpaid?

Why Such Tepid Governmental Aspirations?

Posted on 16 July 2015 by Athene Donald

The Government talks about ‘naming and shaming’ to close the pay gender pay gap, aspiring to close it within a generation. It is perhaps worth remembering when the Equal Pay Act came into force – 1970! 35 years on and … Continue reading →

Posted in Athena Swan, culture change, Equality, gender pay gap, Women in science | Comments Off on Why Such Tepid Governmental Aspirations?

Cold-calling in the Job Market

Posted on 13 October 2013 by Athene Donald

A week ago there was a minute cause for celebration with the news that the number of women on FTSE100 Boards of Directors had reached the stunning level of 19%. At least that figure is heading in the right direction … Continue reading →

Posted in careers, confidence, Equality, gender pay gap, head hunters | Comments Off on Cold-calling in the Job Market

Staffing Matters

Posted on 9 August 2012 by Athene Donald

How good are Universities as places of employment? The THE ran a couple of stories last week, headed ‘higher education staffing’, looking at the age distribution of academic staff, and the gender pay gap. I don’t think either of these … Continue reading →

Posted in age distribution, Equality, gender pay gap, retirement, Times Higher Education | Comments Off on Staffing Matters

Are We Nearly There Yet? [9]

Posted on 18 December 2011 by Athene Donald

The Equality Challenge Unit has recently published its annual survey of statistical information about staff and students in UK universities (this year there are two reports covering separately all grades of staff and students) . There is a wealth of … Continue reading →

Posted in Athena Swan, ECU, Equality, gender pay gap, undergraduate population, Women in science | Comments Off on Are We Nearly There Yet? [9]

Logic, What Logic?

Posted on 30 September 2011 by Athene Donald

This week I attended the Elizabeth Johnson lecture at the Institute of Physics, given by Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of UCAS.  Her topic was Gender Maps in Higher Education, and it explored the differences between male and female progression … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Equality, gender pay gap, graduate premium, IOP, Mary Curnock Cook, Women in science | Comments Off on Logic, What Logic?