SDG 5 Gender Equality

A bit of a surprise in our 2023 results is the appearance of SDG 5 Gender Equality as one of our four ranked SDGs. In 2022, we were ranked in the 401-600 range, this has improved remarkably to a rank of 101-200 in 2023. Our overall score has also ballooned to 61.5% from 47.5% in 2022, an increase of some 29.4% improvement.

The story behind the improvement is not in our research score on SDG 5. Our research score is good but has only shown modest improvement (71.2%) over 2022 (68.2%).

Proportion of first-generation female students: This is measured as the number of women starting a degree who identify as being the first person in their immediate family to attend university, divided by the total number of women starting a degree. As with SDG 4, SDG 5 measures the proportion of first generation female students. In 2022, that proportion stood at 24.9% and that improved to 25.2% in 2023.

Student Access Measures is defined as the methods universities are using to ensure that women can access Higher Education. 1.) This means “systematically measuring and tracking women’s application rates, acceptance or entry rate, and study completion rates at the university. In 2022, the university showed poor access. Our score was only 10.4%, this improved substantially in 2023 to 55.7% which is still a modest number but a dramatic improvement (an increase of 4 and one-half). At this time, we cannot pinpoint what the change was without looking at the evidence, did someone [Matt G. provide different evidence? From 2022 to 2023?].

Another major change over 2022 is the proportion of senior female academics. In 2023, that number was 86.1% a fairly dramatic improvement over 2022, when that number was 39% or a 120% increase year-over-year. Why the dramatic change? Simply a case of women being elevated to the status of professorship (how high is dependent on the PSE system), deanship and senior leadership roles. In the last few years the composition in senior ranks has changed. Females occupy both the Provost’s Office and the Vice President (Administration) roles, where these were occupied by men in 2022, for example. There may be other dramatic changes similar in deanships and senior professorial staff? [Lori Campbell, Pauline Street, Julianna Seroul]

Other indicators for SDG 5 have not changes substantially, for example, the proportion of women receiving degrees was 73% in 2023 a modest decline from 2022’s 78.1%. This is unlikely to be change substantially from one year to the next and will likely be subject to minor fluctuations as the composition of the student body shifts back and forth. On average, female students comprise sixty percent of all students, so a 73% seems quite high.

Another indicator that will likely not be subject to significant change year-over-year is “women’s progress measures”. These include non-discrimination polies for women, transgender, maternity and paternity, childcare access, women’s mentoring schemes, women’s graduation rates, whistle-blower protections. Though there is significant room for improvement. In 2022, the university scored 56.3% on women’s progress measures. This was modestly down but not substantially for 2023 (53.1%).