The seeks to promote gender equality, representation and progression within higher education, and address barriers to progression for all staff. As part of its application the university has created a five-year action plan to tackle issues such as the gender pay gap and so-called ‘glass ceilings’ which can impact on career progression.
As a result of a sustained programme of activity, the 国产探花’s mean gender pay gap has reduced by a third in just five years, from 14.6% in 2017 to 9.63% in 2021. There has also been a significant increase in women applying for promotion at the most senior academic grades, with 59% of applicants for those positions being female in 2020-21, compared to 49% in 2019-20.