International Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day 2024! In the last of this year’s IWD blogs, we hear from the Head of the School of Education and their thoughts on Inclusivity. These interviews also provided key points and recommendations which are collated and summarised here:
https://medium.com/soeresearch/international-womens-day-f9d1f85fe26c
Tell us about yourself and what you do at the University of Sheffield?
I am a Professor of Community Psychology and currently the Head of School of Education in the Faculty of Social sciences.
What does ‘inspire inclusion’ mean to you as an academic at the University of Sheffield? How do you envision inclusive practices and environments within UK universities that support the advancement and recognition of women in your field?
Inclusion work belongs to everyone — and we need to see inclusion as something which is aligned to ways of working as a community. Imagining a workplace that is inclusive and attentive to EDI means recognising difference and engaging with it in all of its forms. This may be flexible working or allocating workload/roles or attending to bias. I think it is also about understanding that gender is one axis that intersects with others (class, disability, race, sexuality etc ) and that complexity is present.
How can academic staff contribute to fostering inclusive practices within their departments and across the broader academic institution?
Clarity about carer’s leave and enabling recruitment and promotion practice to be inclusive is key. Using mentoring, collaboration and enabling pathways to promotion for academics needs constant attention and recognition. For professional services staff, development and acknowledgement of promotion in different forms is necessary. Inclusive practices engage with difference in all areas of the academy — students, staff and practices. Asking questions about EDI in all areas promotes better literacy.
What measures can universities take to address the underrepresentation of women in certain academic disciplines and promote gender diversity in all fields of study?
This starts early on in the pipeline and needs a whole educational approach. Supporting schools to do positive inclusion work will foster a more inclusive culture where representation is more equitable and more aligned to diversity. Universities can consider marketing and recruitment of staff as activity which is important. Getting into the university, however, is only the first step and cultures which welcome need scaffolding and supporting.
How can male colleagues and allies actively contribute to creating more inclusive and supportive environments for female academics at UK universities?
Male allies may well share other intersectional differences which enable a recognition of environmental fit. Linking inclusion to plans across activity streams and monitoring it puts inclusion on everyone’s agenda.
