Creative Strategies to Address Gender Disparities in Academic Achievements

Author: Jackie Edwards

A growing number of universities around the world are communicating data on gender equality but the majority are still unable to produce hard evidence of how equality policies actually benefit women. As over 50% of higher education students are women, it's important to bring together students, teachers and academics in medicine, STEM and other subjects in order to address instances of gender bias and look for effective solutions to the issue.

While equality initiatives could, if properly implemented, give rise to real changes for women at university, removing gender bias in education should start in early years education where girls are already conditioned to make work look effortless and yet, at the same time, expected to achieve more than boys. From training preschool teachers in gender transformative teaching to supporting girls through mentorship programs, creative strategies that are successfully implemented can be effective in addressing disparities in academic achievement.

Establish Supportive Partnerships

In fields where women are often underrepresented, peer mentoring can provide positive role models to guide and support female students and encourage them to continue with their academic studies.  For this reason, mentorship programs already form an important element of medical and STEM education. However, as well as having a positive influence on students at school and university, the benefits of peer monitoring for female students endure long after graduation. In a study of female engineering students at the University of Massachusetts, more went on to take up an internship during their studies if they had a female mentor. The support of a mentor was also associated with a general increase in self-esteem and motivation.From mentoring programs to collaborations within industry, strong partnerships contribute to long-term success. Having a trustworthy colleague to count on gives students security and encourages them to become more confident in their abilities.

Support Organizations Closing the Gender Gap

Providing mentors for female students is a solution to closing the gender gap put forward by one of a number of nonprofits in the US that are dedicated to removing gender disparities in education. In school, there are a number of ways in which teachers can help to reduce gender and race disparities. However, specialist organizations can offer more targeted assistance outside of school that can help students to reach their academic goals in a range of subjects. As well as raising awareness at conferences, talks and workshops, organizations offer learning resources to teachers, opportunities to take courses or attend summer camps and even financial incentives to encourage students to stay on in education. 

Focus on Progress and Success

As well as improving access and implementing policies to address gender bias, celebrating the academic achievements of women in education can help to promote female role models, leading to girls gaining confidence and greater respect from boys and men. Currently, more universities track entry rates than graduation rates, but it is important for educational establishments to measure the outcomes for women and track their success rates after graduation to ensure policies are effective. By sharing their stories, women around the world can learn about the innovative tools, techniques and technology that have helped them to access higher education, enhance their learning practices and achieve their learning goals. While recognizing the challenges still faced by women, International Women’s Day in March provides a good opportunity for schools and colleges to focus on the achievements of women in order to inspire and encourage girls and women to strive for success.

Remove Bias from Academic Publishing

While more institutions are taking steps to monitor gender bias in academia, relative to the number of female scientists, women are consistently underrepresented as authors in peer-reviewed publications and generate fewer citations of their work. In the field of biological sciences, citations for papers are used to measure the productivity of individual scientists and yet research has shown that neuroscience journals authored by women receive up to 30% fewer citations than expected for similar papers. One solution to redress the balance is to use algorithmic tools to identify under-cited articles and notify women of citation biases after submitting their work.  Increasing the number of citations allowed on each paper could also help to minimize bias in referencing.

Strengthen Gender Equality in Preschool 

A gender-inclusive curriculum that promotes gender equality and includes diverse perspectives can help challenge stereotypes and create a more inclusive learning environment for students at school and in higher education.  However, even at the preschool level, educators exert significant influence on gender equality in their classrooms. Studies show that boys receive more attention than girls from pre-primary teachers and that they are expected to achieve more. When they do well academically, boys are more likely to be viewed as naturally competent whereas girls are perceived to have had to work hard for their achievements.  Training teachers in gender transformative teaching can help to raise their awareness of unconscious bias, transform accepted stereotypes and ensure that all students are treated equally.

While the increased monitoring of subject choices and student admissions to university helps to raise awareness of gender disparity in academic achievements, implementing further innovative solutions can be more effective in establishing equality. Celebrating and sharing the achievements of women in education creates positive role models and builds self-esteem. At the same time, introducing tools and training in education, from preschool teaching to post graduate peer reviews, helps to minimize unconscious bias.

About the author: Jackie has always been interested in the topic of gender and is a keen advocate of equity in the workplace. For years she worked in academia and although she's now semi-retired she still writes on this topic and a host of other issues. When she's not working, she spends time with her partner and their two dogs Roobarb and Custard and volunteers for women's aid charities