Gender Equality Scheme - University of Winchester

Four comments from responses to the questionnaire were used in discussion at
each focus group:
• Formal processes are likely already to have been written with equality in
mind. What happens on the ground however and especially between
colleagues is far harder to discover.
• Danger of over emphasis on discrimination against women as an issue to
the exclusion of discrimination against men
• There are wider cultural factors that the University could do its bit in
addressing e.g. overcoming stereotypical gender roles
• Women are underrepresented because they do not hold an appropriate
proportion of positions of responsibility within the University
Seven focus groups were held. 28 members of staff were consulted via focus
groups, 20 female and 8 male. Of these, 15 were academic staff, 10 were
support staff and 3 were management staff.
In general, support staff did not perceive gender inequality. Support staff
seemed to feel that an issue was being made when no issue was perceived.
Whereas academic staff did perceive inequality, with specific concerns over
career progression, flexible working and availability of (academic) part-time/job
share posts, allocation of workload (and how work was valued) and child care.
This supported comments that had been raised through the questionnaire.
?.9 Summary of Results of Student Questionnaire
A student questionnaire was administered to Union Council and received 15
responses. 7 men (46.6 . %) and 8 women (53.3 . %) responded to the
questionnaire.
Of the respondents, 11 were in level 3 of study, 2 were level 2 and 1 was level
1. 1 respondent did not declare this information.
5 respondents were undergraduates, 1 was postgraduate and the remaining did
not declare this information.
Seven respondents came from Arts, 6 from Social Sciences and the remaining
from Arts/Education and Arts/Social Sciences.
The overwhelming responses from the student questionnaire were that there
was no perception of sex discrimination or gender inequality. The only points
raised were regarding the allocation of all-male flats on the ground floor of