Women’s Census report rates NZ universities

Human Rights Commission
Media release
8 November 2010
Embargoed against publication or broadcast until 5am, 8 November 2010

Women’s Census report rates New Zealand universities
The 2010 New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation has highlighted New Zealand universities as an area making steady progress for women at a time when improvements in other areas of professional and public life have stalled.

The Human Rights Commission published the fourth biennial Census of Women’s Participation today (8 November 2010). It tracks progress, or the lack of it, of the representation of women in the central areas of public life in New Zealand.

EEO Commissioner Dr Judy McGregor says, “University-led initiatives to improve women’s leadership and increase the number of senior academic women seeking promotion in New Zealand’s universities are having an impact. With the large numbers of female tertiary students, it is only reasonable to expect a relevant proportion of senior female staff.”

The country’s eight universities cracked the 20 per cent mark overall for the first time, with women making up 22.45 per cent of professors and associate professors.

Waikato University jumped ahead of AUT and Victoria University in 2010, with the highest rate of female professors and associate professors of all universities (28.57 per cent).

Canterbury University, ranked fifth of the universities, has made the most significant percentage gain from a low base since reporting began in 2003, an increase of 17.93 per cent.

Numbers
• Women hold 22.45 per cent of senior academic positions in New Zealand’s eight universities, up 3.26 per cent since 2007 and up 6.63 per cent since 2003.
• Female professors increased to 17.22 per cent across all universities, an increase of 1.57 per cent since 2003.
• Female associate professors increased to 28.02 per cent across all universities, an increase of 12.05 per cent since 2003.
• Six universities improved the proportion of senior women since the last census (Waikato, Massey, Canterbury, Auckland, Otago and Lincoln) while two lost ground (AUT and Victoria).

Download the 2010 NZ Census of Women’s Participation (PDF 1Mb).

[Scoop copy: 05Nov2010_092940_HRC_Womens_Census_2010_WEB.pdf]

ENDS

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