Wednesday 31-05-2023 - 16:12

Too many man, too many many man… 

We need some more girls* in here. 

(Skepta, Too Many Man) *women+

 

 

Women+ In University Leadership: The Glass Ceiling in Action

Editorial by Victoria Phillips (VP Wellfare)

 

 

It’s not a secret that there has been a decline in women+ in student leadership over the past few years. People have different theories as to why this is, with some even pointing to Covid as a reason for this decline. While there may be some correlation with different events, the fact has always stood that women+ are underrepresented in the leadership sphere, especially in positions that are non-gender specific. 

 

*EDI Annual Report

There are approximately 50% of students who identify as women+, but there is still a distinct lack of women+ representation on student executives across campus. You’d think this 50/50 split would translate into the same proportional split in leadership, but this is not the case. So, what is going on?

 

 

When I was a JCR President of Furness College, it felt very natural to be in a leadership position. “You’re a Phillips,” my dad would say, “you’re a leader by nature and name.” While this may sound awfully big-headed, the fact that my dad acknowledged and encouraged his two daughters to reach for higher positions, no matter the reasoning, made a great difference to me. It is because of him, and many other factors, that I have found the confidence to be a student representative of the women+ community. Having been raised by a man who taught us to be outspoken, passionate and kind, my sister and I are now both confident in our ability to lead.

 

The quote I used above does raise an important question: are certain people born to lead?

 

If we consider history as well as the current state of leadership in the University, we may be led to think that men are naturally born to lead. However, with the changes in the way we view leadership and the rise in women+ independence and freedom, we’re finding that this is not the case. Most people now accept that leaders are made through experience, dedication and commitment. With this in mind, we now see the suppression of women has enabled men to prevail in leadership roles due to both the intentional and unintentional barriers that prevent women+ from accessing opportunities.

 

From the story I told about my dad, we also learn how peers can affect a person’s perspective of their role in a group. Even though my confidence has been knocked left, right and centre, the fact that I was constantly reassured of my strength meant that I was able to ignore the negative comments. I know both from my own experience as well as learning from my peers that this isn’t always the case. Negative comments pile high in the minds of those who did, or still do not, receive a proportional amount of positive comments. Being engulfed by a society that still does not acknowledge the value of women+ in leadership is an age-old barrier that prevents women+ students from running for executive positions. It is purposefully discriminatory and only seeks to further empower men while women+ don’t get the chance to try. 

 

So how do we change this? If we see the University bubble as a microcosm of wider society, we realise that the lack of women+ in leadership roles further discourages women+ from running for these positions. “If they can’t do it, I definitely don’t have a chance” is the phrase that prevails and will continue if we don’t do something. The Students’ Union is rebooting the ‘She*[1] Should Run’ campaign, and as part of this we’d like to invite you to an open forum discussion about what it’s like to be a women+ in leadership and how we can encourage other women+ to take on these roles. It is vital that we get this right. Only 1 women+ candidate ran for a position as a Full Time Officer, but this should not be the case.