BC Gender Equality Partnerships: Addressing Unconscious Biases and Negative Stereotypes to Enhance Women's Progression in HEI Leadership

Project Description

Background: Despite Bangladesh's constitutional recognition of equal rights for men and women, higher education (HE) leadership remains predominantly male-dominated. The extent of this gender gap is unclear, making it challenging to determine the necessary measures to address it. Cultural and societal factors may further discourage efforts towards achieving gender parity in HE leadership. Understanding these barriers is crucial for developing effective strategies to promote gender equality. While this proposal focuses on Bangladesh, the framework developed could be applicable to other countries facing similar gender inequality challenges. Objectives 1.Measure the Gender Gap in HE Leadership in Bangladesh: Quantify the disparity between male and female representation in HE leadership roles. 2.Identify Major Obstacles to Gender Equality in HE Leadership: Examine the key barriers preventing women from attaining leadership positions in HE. 3.Develop a Framework to Ensure Gender Equality: Create a comprehensive strategy to promote and sustain gender equality in HE leadership. 4.Policy Recommendations for Gender Equality in HE Leadership: Provide actionable policy guidelines to foster gender equality in HE governance. Methodology 1.Data Collection: Gather data from university websites across Bangladesh to measure the gender gap in HE leadership. 2.Literature Review: Conduct an extensive review of existing research to identify the major obstacles to gender equality in HE leadership. 3.Interviews: Conduct interviews with 100 HE leadership team members to gather insights and develop the framework for gender equality. 4.Dialogue Arrangement: Organize a dialogue between HE leadership teams from the UK and Bangladesh to exchange best practices and strategies for gender equality. Impact •Awareness Creation: Raise awareness about the extent and implications of gender inequality within universities. •Gender Inequality Reduction: Minimize the gender disparity in HE governance by implementing the proposed framework. •Support for SDG 5: Contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.