Increase in female professors stalls
Although the number of women at the top of science is growing, it is not fast enough. This is stated in the new 'Monitor female professors', which was presented today.
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In the past year (2021), the share of female professors has increased by one percent. This is the smallest growth in the past five years, underlines the National Network of Women Professors (LNVH) in the monitor.
"It will take until 2041 before a proportional male-female distribution will be achieved among professors," says the network. "This is one year later than last year's forecast."
Salary
Women also appear to be on a lower scale than their male colleagues: they therefore receive less pay. That difference has increased among professors. "Universities violate equal treatment laws when they do not pay women equally for equal work," responds AObsector director Donald Pechler. He refers to theEqual pay guideof the Labor Foundation.
Female scientists also more often have a temporary contract than their male colleagues, according to the LNVH monitor. The difference is greatest among assistant professors: 4,4 percentage points. A glass ceiling is also still there. In particular, the transition from assistant professor to senior lecturer appears to be more difficult for women than for men. The LNVH advocates new impulse programs and 'resuming the focus on the advancement of women', according to a press release.
Bright spots
Incidentally, there are also a few bright spots. For example, the percentage of female associate professors increased significantly, according to the monitor, and there are also more women in academic management.
The share of female professors at university hospitals has also increased: from 28 percent in 2021 to 29,7 percent in 2022. The differences between them are considerable. Of the professors at the VUMC in Amsterdam, 38 percent are women, compared to 24,2 percent at the Erasmus Medical Center.
Long term
The university personnel figures used by the network have already been made public. In the slightly longer term, it seems right to go faster with the increase in the proportion of female professors. Over the past ten years, the percentage of female professors has increased by 12 percentage points. In the previous ten years this was 8 percentage points.
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