Gendered universities and the wage gap: Case study of a pay equity audit in an Australian university
Currie, J., Hill, B.
J Currie, B Hill - Higher Education Policy, 2013 - Springer
Summary
The research paper "Gendered universities and the wage gap: Case study of a pay equity audit in an Australian university" by Currie and Hill (2013) investigates the global phenomenon of women's pay lagging behind men's in academic settings, using a specific case study in Australia. The article delineates pay equity policies both within Australia and internationally, emphasizing the strategic utility of a pay equity audit in mitigating gender-based inequities within higher education institutions. The study focused on The University of Western Australia (UWA), a research-intensive institution that, like many global counterparts, exhibits vertical segregation where power and advantage are predominantly held by males. The methodology involved conducting a comprehensive pay equity audit based on average annual salaries in 2008 at UWA. The audit aimed to systematically identify and quantify gender pay disparities among its academic and professional staff. The findings revealed a substantial gender pay gap: academics faced a 15% gap, while professionals experienced a 12% gap in average annual salaries. Beyond base salaries, the audit also uncovered significant differences in discretionary allowances. Academic men, on average, received $8,744 more than academic women, and professional men received $1,987 more than their female counterparts. These findings underscore how remuneration structures, including supplementary allowances, contribute to broader gender inequities within the university environment. The implications of these findings are critical for understanding and addressing systemic gender bias in academia. The paper concludes by discussing the "micropolitics" surrounding the reactions of key stakeholders within the university to these audit results. It explores potential avenues through which the university could implement actions to reduce the identified gender differences in allowances and overall pay. This case study illustrates that while universities globally are often gender-segregated, proactive tools like pay equity audits can effectively expose these disparities and serve as a catalyst for institutional change, challenging the status quo and informing strategies for greater gender pay equity in higher education.
Key Findings
- - A gender pay gap of 15% was found for academics and 12% for professional staff at The University of Western Australia based on 2008 average annual salaries.
- Discretionary allowances significantly contributed to the overall pay gap, with academic men receiving, on average, $8,744 more than academic women, and professional men receiving $1,987 more than professional women.
- The study highlights the effectiveness of pay equity audits as a strategic tool to identify and address gender inequities within research-intensive universities.
- Universities, like UWA, are often characterized by vertical segregation where power and advantage are predominantly held by men, contributing to persistent wage disparities.