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Diagnosis of Gender Parity in Universities: An Indicator-based Analysis

Diagnóstico de paridad en la universidad: análisis a través de indicadores

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education volume 7, pages 60–73 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess, using a series of gender indicators, the impact that gender policies contained in Spanish university regulations and strategic plans have had on the current situation of female members of university teaching and research staff.

To that end, the evolution of the teaching and research staff (PDI) at a particular university over the last five years has been analysed. We shall take this university as a point of reference in order to extrapolate the results and conclusions to all other Spanish public universities.

The results show that there are still more men than women on the university’s main representation and governing bodies, who are directly responsible for decision-making at the university. Likewise, it is found that such inequality manifests itself significantly when differentiating between elected positions and freely appointed positions, thus corroborating our hypothesis that gender parity as demanded by the current Spanish university regulations is more apparent than real.

This supports the idea of a need to establish equality policies and strategic equality plans at all Spanish public universities, aimed at rectifying the inequality that still exists.

Resumen

El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar, a través de una serie de indicadores de género, la repercusión que las políticas de género, contenidas en la normativa universitaria y los planes estratégicos, han tenido en la situación actual de las mujeres pertenecientes al colectivo del personal docente e investigador de la universidad.

Para ello se analiza la evolución de la plantilla del personal docente e investigador (PDI), a lo largo de los últimos cinco años, en una universidad que se toma como referente, para posteriormente extrapolar los resultados y las conclusiones obtenidos al resto de universidades públicas.

Los resultados indican que aún hay una presencia mayoritaria de hombres en los principales órganos de gobierno y representación de la universidad, responsables directos de la toma de decisiones en la misma. Se observa, así mismo, que dicha desigualdad se manifiesta significativamente cuando se diferencia entre cargos electos y cargos de libre designación, lo que nos corrobora la hipótesis de que la paridad exigida por la actual normativa universitaria es más aparente que real.

Esto apoya la idea de la necesidad de establecer políticas de igualdad y planes estratégicos de igualdad en todas las universidades públicas españolas, dirigidos a corregir las desigualdades que aún se producen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Accountancy and Management, University of Malaga, Avda. Cervantes, 2, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    María Jesús Morales Caparrós (Tenured University Lecturer), María José Luna Jiménez (Tenured University Lecturer) & Ana Isabel Esteban Pagola (Tenured University Lecturer)

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  1. María Jesús Morales Caparrós
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  2. María José Luna Jiménez
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  3. Ana Isabel Esteban Pagola
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Correspondence to María Jesús Morales Caparrós.

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Research article by the SEJ 168 group of the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

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Morales Caparrós, M.J., Luna Jiménez, M.J. & Esteban Pagola, A.I. Diagnosis of Gender Parity in Universities: An Indicator-based Analysis. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 7, 60–73 (2010). https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v7i2.632

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