Women In Higher Education Research Articles

Urban myths and debunking false science

In this issue of The Biochemist, we explore how we can disprove urban myths and debunk false science.We spoke to Sense about Science, a partner organization of the Biochemical Society which works to ensure science and evidence are prioritized in public life, and you can find out more about the organization and their work in our interview with Nita Pillai, Director of Programmes at Sense about Science. You can also find out about the inspiring winner of the 2022 John Maddox Prize, which is awarded by Sense about Science and Nature to people who have stood up for science and evidence in the face of adversity. Find out about this year’s winner, Eucharia Nwaichi by reading the interview she gave to Biochemical Society member, Charlay Wood. . In this issue, you can also find out about the science curriculum in schools and how we can teach students to recognize scientific misinformation, and Kevin Murach and colleagues also dispel commons myths to do with muscle.This issue also includes an article from one of the recipients of our 2021 Diversity in Science grants, who used the funding to explore the lived experiences of black women in STEM UK Higher Education and are now sharing their findings with the wider community.Finally, I am pleased to say that we have now announced our 2023 issue themes. We encourage anyone who is interested in writing a feature article for us to get in touch with the editorial team, if your work is related to one of the below areas:I wish all readers a pleasant festive season and a Happy New Year – see you in 2023!

Promoting Diverse Leadership: An Examination of Professional Experiences and Career Advancement Perceptions of Black Women in Higher Education

The professional experiences and career advancement perceptions of Black, female, higher education professionals were examined in an effort to obtain qualitative and quantitative data that could positively impact practice and policy in higher education leadership. Data were collected using a mixed questionnaire that included survey items, open-ended questions, and demographic inquiries. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVAs) was conducted to assess the difference in mean perception career advancement scores based on participants’ professional classification, highest level of education, and years of professional experience. No statistically significant differences (p > .05) were found. The lack of differences across demographics indicates that Black, female, higher education professionals have similar perceptions of career advancement, regardless of professional classification, education achieved, or years of experience.

Disparities in fruit and vegetable intake at the intersection of gender and education in northern Sweden: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEven though the existence of inequalities in fruit and vegetable consumption has been well established, it is not clear how it is patterned across intersections of multiple social positions and identities. This study aims to investigate disparities in fruit and vegetable intake between groups at the intersection of education and gender in northern Sweden, and to estimate the discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional groups.MethodsCross-sectional data from the 2018 Health on Equal Terms survey conducted in four regions in northern Sweden was used (N = 21,853). Four intersectional groups were created: high and low educated men, and high and low educated women. Prevalence differences corresponding to joint, referent, and excess intersectional inequalities, were estimated for three outcomes: inadequate fruit and vegetable intake combined, inadequate fruit intake, and inadequate vegetable intake. The discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional groups was estimated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.ResultsLow educated men had the highest prevalence of inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables combined (81.4%), fruits (83.4%), and vegetables (84.9%), while high educated women had the lowest (47.7, 60.2, and 51.8%, respectively). The joint disparities between high educated women and low educated men were both significant and substantial for all outcomes (34.6 percentage points (pp.), 25.2 pp., and 31.2 pp., adjusted), although differences in magnitude were noted between fruit and vegetable intake. The joint disparities were mostly explained by the two referent disparities for gender and education. The excess intersectional disparity - the part of the joint disparity not explained by either referent disparity – was negative for all three outcomes (-5.5 pp., − 4.2 pp., and − 4.6 pp. respectively, adjusted). The discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional groups was moderate (0.67, 0.65, and 0.68 respectively).ConclusionsAn intersectional approach can provide a more detailed view of inequalities in fruit and vegetable consumption between groups combining several social positions. The moderate discriminatory accuracy observed here suggests that interventions and policies aiming to reduce diet inequalities should not solely be targeted at certain groups, but also be universal.

Faktor-Faktor Penyebab Depresi Pasca Persalinan

This study aims to determine the factors that cause postpartum depression. This research method is a systematic review by searching for article data sources through electronic databases, namely Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Proquest, and Google Scholar (2016-2020). The results showed that 18 research articles included higher factors for postpartum depression, namely young age, multiparity parity, history of abortion, and lack of husband and family social support. Mothers who work high experience postpartum depression. The factors that are more likely to experience postpartum depression are a history of childbirth complications, the sex of the unwanted baby, higher education, widowed or unmarried women, unplanned pregnancy, low economy, domestic violence, and marital satisfaction. In conclusion, the factors that can cause postpartum depression are age, parity, history of abortion, social support, husband, family, occupation, history of childbirth complications, sex of the baby, education, marital status, unplanned pregnancy, and economic status, violence. Household and marital satisfaction.
 
 Keywords: Causing Factors, Depression, Postpartum

Being a Woman is not a Barrier to Achieving Successful Leadership in South African Higher Education

This research aims to examine and analyse some of the problems that women in leadership positions face in South African higher education. Women have been denied leadership positions in higher education. This became increasingly clear in developing countries such asSouth Africa. However, in recent years, there has been a great increase in the achievement of women in leadership roles in higher education.. South African higher education has undergone a gender stereotype reversal, largely due to an increase in women in leadership positionssuch as vice-chancellors, rectors, deans, and department heads. This study contends that being a female does not preclude successful leadership in South African higher education. A qualitative content analysis was utilised to guide this work when reviewing and analysing current scholarly literature such as articles, book chapters, and theses. To build a coding system and present the findings of this paper, the following themes were identified:(1) challenges women face in leadership positions in South African higher education; (2) the influence of patriarchy in leadership positions in higher education; (3) Influence of patriarchy in leadership positions in higher education; (4) Redressing the challenges faced by women in higher education. The findings of this paper revealed that being a woman is not a barrier to success in leadership, but they also highlighted that women continue to face basic problems in academic leadership. This article concludes by claiming that gender stereotypes, gender inequity, and discrimination against women in leadership roles are issues preventing women from achieving their career progression goals in academia.

Parental educational similarity and inequality implications for infant health in Chile: Evidence from administrative records, 1990–2015

This study expands existing scholarship on the relationship between parental educational similarity and infant health using rich administrative data from Chile covering births that occurred between 1990 and 2015. We test the relationship between parental educational similarity ( homogamy ) or dissimilarity ( heterogamy ) and two measures of infant health, namely low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PB). We show that parental educational homogamy is associated with a reduced probability of low birth weight and preterm birth – particularly at the high end of the educational distribution – and the observed association is only partly driven by selection into homogamous couples, as demonstrated by complementary quasi-experimental analyses conducted on a subsample of matched step-siblings from same mothers but different fathers. We further show that couples where women outrank men in educational attainment ( hypogamy ) exhibit worse birth outcomes relative to their homogamous and hypergamous counterparts. Municipality-level analyses merging external information on female labor force participation (FLFP) prior to childbirth reveal that the association between hypogamy and children’s outcomes is increasingly negative as FLFP increases, highlighting a strong work-life balance tension for highly-educated women who are actively engaged in the labor force. Insights from this study contribute to a better understanding of the inequality debate surrounding the intergenerational transmission of advantage and disadvantage – a topical issue in a country that has recently joined the rank of the world’s wealthiest nations yet maintains extreme levels of socioeconomic inequality. • Chile has recently joined the rank of the world’s wealthiest nations, yet it maintains extreme levels of socio-economic inequality and worsening infant health overtime • We explore whether the educational composition of couples – and their changing nature over time – bears any relationship with infant health using rich birth records from Chile • We leverage quasi-experimental methods to assuage endogeneity concerns related to selection into specific couple types • We find that couples where men and women hold the same level of education exhibit better infant health than couples where men and women hold different levels of education • However, couples where women outrank men in educational attainment exhibit worse birth outcomes relative to their homogamous and hypergamous counterparts • The latter finding is exacerbated in contexts characterized by higher female labor force participation

A critical safe, supportive space: a collaborative autoethnography of a woman's academic mentoring circle

PurposeThe study examines the benefits and potential challenges of the mentoring circle as an innovative approach to mentoring among four cisgendered women faculty situated at 4-year universities in various geographic locations in the United States.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing collaborative autoethnography, we ask: How can mentoring circles be beneficial for diverse early- and mid-career faculty women in higher education? Given our varying positionalities and the development of our sustained mentoring relationships, we drew on the concepts of intersectionality and sisterhood as a framework to understand our individual and collective experiences in the circle. Through a collaborative autoethnographic design, we examined data from four 3-h online video reflective discussions as well as relevant documents and communication, such as emails and texts.FindingsThe power dynamics within the circle, fluidity of its borders and how it provided us with a unique ability to read the world contributed to a sense of community and empowerment that were key factors to the circle's success. We created an inclusive space with a defined purpose where trust, authenticity, reciprocity and the expectation for vulnerability served as the solid foundation for relationships. We became sources of holistic support, sharing advice and resources to support our growth as teachers, scholars and community members within our field and beyond.Originality/valueOur mentoring circle disrupts conventional mentoring structures and highlights the power of a sustainable circle among diverse women faculty rooted in adaptive, flexible and responsive relationships.

Role of women in reproductive decision making and inter-personal communication regarding reproductive health

Background: Reproductive health of women plays a key role in overall development of a country. Lack of decision-making by women in reproductive health matters may lead to an unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion and other adverse reproductive health outcomes.Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted among married women with at least one child aged 18-49 years in Punjab, India. Study variables included socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive health characteristics, contraceptive choices, interpersonal communication and interpersonal relationship with spouses.Results: Among all surveyed married women, only 51 (58.6%) women reported to be physically and mentally ready for their marriage. 50 (57.5%) of women reported using condoms, while about one-third of the women were not using any kind of contraceptive method. 62 (75.5%) women reported decisions to be taken jointly for child health care. Place of delivery was reportedly discussed 78 (88.6%) by women with their spouses. Interpersonal communications were rated as either very good or good by 72 (81.8%) women. Also, women who were more educated than their spouses were less likely to be satisfied with inter-spousal communication. No significant association was observed between higher education of women than their spouses and active role in taking various decisions by women.Conclusions: Women should be encouraged to take her own reproductive and health related decisions and other family members should support her. Efforts to increase awareness for sexual and reproductive issues should be initiated from adolescence phase.

The human right to safely give birth: data from 193 countries show that gender equality does affect maternal mortality

BackgroundWhile a reduction in the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has slowed, newer strategies are needed to achieve an ongoing and sustainable reduction of the MMR. Previous studies have investigated the association between health system-related factors such as wealth inequalities, healthcare access and use on maternal mortality. However, a women’s rights-based approach to address MMR has not been studied, excluding the health system-related factors. This study aimed to analyse the association between gender equality and MMR globally.MethodsUsing structural equation modelling (SEM), secondary and open access data from the United Nations and other international agencies from 193 countries were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Gender-sensitive variables that represented the theoretical, conceptual framework of the study were selected. The association between latent variable gender equality and the outcome, MMR, was examined in the SEM. A second SEM model (n = 158) was designed to include two variables related to gender-based violence.FindingsThe latent variable, gender equality, was negatively associated with MMR (p < 0‧001, Z = –6‧96, 95% CI: − 6508.98 to − 3141.89 for Model 1 and p < 0‧001, Z = –7‧23, 95% CI: − 6045.356 to − 3467.515 for Model 2).InterpretationGender equality was significantly associated with maternal mortality. Investing in higher education for women, improving their paid employment opportunities, increasing participation in leadership roles and politics, reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) and ending child marriage can significantly reduce maternal mortality.

Grown Black Woman Voice

Black women in higher education are situated in a hegemonic, white, patriarchal context of academia. As a result, Black women are (re)subjugated to a tumultuous existence in the academy as “others.” This is why the theory of Grown Black Woman Voice was developed. Grounded in Black Feminist Theory, misogynoir, and the theory of adultification, this framework emphasizes the importance of Black women’s development of voice, to ultimately construct their own existence in academia. This framework centers Black women as the authors of their experience and empowers Black women to be authentic, possess authority, and enact autonomy. Additionally, it emphasizes a theoretical explanation beyond concepts like “resistance” and “support” to complicate the ways Black women in higher education settings are positioned.

Consensual conjugal unions among the higher educated women: understanding the heterogeneity of the Brazilian context

Consensual unions have increased greatly in Brazil over the last few decades. Initially, restricted to less-educated groups, they have now been observed in all educational groups, leading some to suggest a diffusion of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) in the country. In this paper, we examine the characteristics of women choosing consensual unions in Brazil between 1980 and 2010, with a focus on differentials by education. The results show that higher educated women, when compared to the least educated group, prefer marriage over consensual union in both 1980 and 2010. In addition, we show a growing difference between educational groups over time for choosing informal unions, as the probabilities for higher educated women to choose this union type grew less than for the lower educated. For the women with high levels of education in 2010, the likelihood of being in a consensual union is greater among those from lower social classes, and among blacks, browns, and Catholics. These results suggest the replication of intergenerational behaviour as the most likely explanation for the increase in consensual unions among the most educated.

Helping Responses by Indirect Bystanders of Coercive Sexual Harassment in Academia: Friendship Status With Source of Information

Coercive sexual harassment (CSH) by faculty is a risk factor for women in higher education. Bystander intervention and support for a victim are critical. Social networks can influence peers’ social reactions to victims of sexual violations. This is the first study to explore the responses of peers who learn about CSH of a peer indirectly, thus becoming indirect bystanders. In this scenario, a peer classmate learns of CSH of a classmate from another classmate who witnessed the CSH. The 181 participants (52.8% female) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions where a written vignette described an interaction between the instructor faculty member and a student; the interchange involved either moderate or severe CSH (severity). The peer informant who witnessed the CSH and shared the information with the potential indirect bystander was described as either a close friend in the same class or only a classmate (friendship status). The vignette was followed by a series of items with Likert-type scales that measured cognitive appraisals (offensiveness of interaction, harm to victim, the believability of information, personal responsibility to act), emotional reactions (fears of negative consequences for taking action, emotional reactions to perpetrator and victim), and behavioral intentions (helping peer victim, social responses to victim, behaviors towards professor/perpetrator). Results indicated that the severity of CSH was a critical factor in cognitive appraisals and both positive emotional reactions to the victim and negative emotions towards the perpetrator. Yet, the main effects for the severity of CSH were moderated by friendship status of the informant: when the source was a close friend in the moderate CSH condition, participants were more likely to act to support the victim, less likely to avoid/exclude the victim, and more likely to avoid/exclude the professor than when the source of the information was simply a classmate. Results support training programs that focus on peer social networks as sources of deterrence and enhanced support regarding SH.

Occupational status and life satisfaction in the UK: The miserable middle?

We use British panel data to explore the link between occupational status and life satisfaction. We find puzzling evidence for men of a U-shaped relationship in cross-section data: employees in medium-status occupations report lower life satisfaction scores than those of employees in either low- or high-status occupations. This puzzle disappears in panel data: the satisfaction of any man rises as he moves up the status ladder. The culprit seems to be immobility: the miserable middle is caused by men who have always been in medium-status occupations. There is overall little evidence of a link between occupational status and life satisfaction for women, although this relationship for higher-educated women does look more like that for men.

Educational inequalities in self-rated health and emotional exhaustion among workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate trends in educational inequalities in poor health and emotional exhaustion during the pandemic among workers, and differences in trends between men and women.MethodsFive waves (2019–2021) from the longitudinal study ‘the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey COVID-19 study’ were used (response rates: 32–38%). Generalized logistic mixed models were used to estimate the changes in absolute and relative educational inequalities in poor health and emotional exhaustion for all workers (n = 12,479) and for men and women, separately.ResultsLow and intermediate educated workers reported more often poor health (OR 2.54; 95% CI 1.71–3.77 and OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.68–2.61, respectively) than high educated workers. Intermediate educated women (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.37–0.64) reported less emotional exhaustion than high educated women, but no differences were observed among men. The prevalence of poor health first decreased across all educational levels until March 2021, and bounced back in November 2021. A similar pattern was found for emotional exhaustion, but for low and intermediate educated workers only. Relative educational inequalities in poor health reduced among men during the pandemic, and absolute differences decreased among men and women by 2.4–2.6%. Relative educational inequalities in emotional exhaustion widened among men only. Absolute differences in emotional exhaustion first increased among both men and women, but narrowed between the last two waves.DiscussionSocioeconomic inequalities for poor self-rated health remained but narrowed in relative and absolute terms during the pandemic. With regard to emotional exhaustion, socioeconomic inequalities returned to pre-COVID-19 levels at the end of 2021.

Inclusion of Muslim women in higher education: A social and national transformation

According to Brigham Young, “If you educate a man, you educate one person. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” This quote gives a clear indication that when we educate a woman we educate an entire nation, and ultimately the nation gets developed. So, the progress of a nation is largely depending upon the progress of a woman. Without women, a nation can’t be developed. This paper gives the impression that the goals of education for girls in general, and Muslim girls in particular are directly connected with the progress of the nation as a whole. Many studies indicate that the educational status of Muslim women is relatively low compared to their male and female counterparts. This paper is an attempt to analyze the factors that are responsible for the educational retardation of Muslim women at the tertiary level. As a result, the present article highlighted a number of causes for Muslim females' low educational standing at higher levels of education as well as offered some recommendations and ideas. The report then offers some of the recommendations suggested by NEP-2020 for promoting the inclusion of girls in the higher level of education in order to advance their socioeconomic and educational status.

Higher Education Concerns of Underprivileged Girl Students in India – An Overview

The rate of women in higher education is higher in developed countries when compared to India. The state of affairs in the developed countries prove that women empowerment is proportionate to the progress of a country. India is a developing country so concentrating on women's education and women empowerment in the long run would help India boost its economy. Girl students belonging to low-income group should overcome numerous barriers to pursue higher education. The paper focuses on the barriers faced by women belonging to low income group families. Various issues and challenges faced by women belonging to low economic group to pursue research and development in education would be discussed in this article. Recommendations to overcome barriers would also be suggested in this article.

National work-family policies and the occupational segregation of women and mothers in European countries, 1999-2016.

Some scholars hypothesize that although work-family policies help incorporate women into the labour market, they do so by integrating women, and mothers specifically, into female-dominated occupations. Some suggest that although these policies are 'good' for lower educated women, they harm higher educated women by concentrating them in female-dominated professions. We revisit this debate using the highest quality data brought to bear on this question to date. We use the EU Labour Force Survey 1999-2016 (n = 21 countries, 235 country-years, 2.5 million men and women aged 20-44), combined with an original collection of country-year indicators. Specifically, we examine how the two most widely studied work-family policies-paid parental leave and early childhood education and care (ECEC)-and public sector size affect occupational segregation for men and women by educational attainment and parental status. We find no evidence that 'generous' welfare states promote segregation. Rather, a specific policy-parental leave in excess of 9 months-promotes segregation between men and women broadly, but most acutely for non-tertiary-educated mothers. Findings are generally null for paid leave of up to 9 months. ECEC is associated with greater integration, particularly for tertiary-educated women. Large public sectors are associated with segregation, with both tertiary-educated men and women more likely to work in feminized occupations. Public sector size, however, is not as tightly bundled with work-family policies as previous work suggests.

Community health worker intervention improves early childhood vaccination rates: results from a propensity-score matching evaluation

BackgroundArizona’s Health Start Program is a statewide community health worker (CHW) maternal and child health home visiting intervention. The objective of this study was to test if participation in Health Start during 2006–2016 improved early childhood vaccination completion rates.MethodsThis retrospective study used 11 years of administrative, birth certificate, and immunization records. Propensity score matching was used to identify control groups, based on demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics. Results are reported by historically disadvantaged subgroups and/or with a history of low vaccine uptake, including Hispanic/Latinx and American Indian children, and children of low socioeconomic status and from rural areas, children with teen mothers and first-born children. The average treatment-on-the-treated (ATT) effect estimated the impact of Health Start on timely completion of seven early childhood vaccine series: diphtheria/tetanus toxoids and acellular/whole-cell pertussis (DTaP/DTP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B (Hep. B), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), poliovirus, and varicella.ResultsVaccination completion rates (by age five) were 5.0% points higher for Health Start children as a group, and on average 5.0% points higher for several subgroups of mothers: women from rural border counties (ATT 5.8), Hispanic/Latinx women (ATT 4.8), American Indian women (ATT 4.8), women with less than high school education (ATT 5.0), teen mothers (ATT 6.1), and primipara women (ATT 4.5), compared to matched control groups (p-value ≤ 0.05). Time-to-event analyses show Health Start children complete vaccination sooner, with a hazard rate for full vaccination 13% higher than their matches.ConclusionA state-operated home visiting intervention with CHWs as the primary interventionist can effectively promote early childhood vaccine completion, which may reduce the incidence of preventable diseases and subsequently improve children’s health. Effects of CHW interventions on vaccination uptake is particularly relevant given the rise in vaccine-preventable diseases in the US and globally.Trial registrationApproved by the University of Arizona Research Institutional Review Board (Protocol 1701128802), 25 January 2017.

Women Faculty in Higher Education

Introduction: Women's participation in the higher education sector, globally and in India, has seen a steep increase over the past two decades. Despite this increase, women still have several challenges to face in the workplace. The aim of this study was to try and understand the issues faced by women in higher education. Methods: This qualitative study uses focus group discussions to open dialog with Indian women who are eligible to occupy/currently occupy administrative positions in higher education to understand their issues, struggles, and realities within the realm of higher education. The study uses the social identity theory to contextualize the experiences of women in higher education and divides the analysis into the broad themes of social categorization, social identification, and social comparison. Results: The study finds that women face specific bias in the sector, deal with the dual responsibilities of caregiving and work duties, and also face stereotyping and lack of acceptance in the workplace. Women have mentioned that they need to alter their team management style and leadership styles since, often, men did not seem to be comfortable with being managed by women. Conclusions: The study indicates the need for training for all members of higher education on gender issues, especially issues with the management of both home and workplace duties, the need to have mentors and individuals to look up to, and the need for supportive policies for women to be able to succeed in higher education.

Persepsi Masyarakat terhadap Pentingnya Pendidikan Tinggi Untuk Kaum Perempuan

All citizens, regardless of gender, have the right to education, including higher education. However, due to the nature of women working in the kitchen, women's higher education still overlaps. Therefore, women should be informed about higher education in society. The purpose of this study is to explain the current educational status of women in the Pakusarakan area of Karawang district, to explain public opinion about women with higher education and to explain public opinion about the,,importance,,of higher education for women. This research is a qualitative technical research. The subject of this research is a case study to the community and the data collection methods in this study are observation, interviews and documentation. Sources of data used in this study are primary and secondary data sources. The results of this study: The education level of women in Pakusarakan is mostly agricultural graduates, and women born in the 1970s and 1980s on average only completed elementary school. However, due to the development of educational facilities, young girls are currently enrolled in colleges in the Pakusarakan area. Society views women with positive education and hopes to use their,,knowledge in,,society and there are still people who consider women as women. Due to its culinary nature, it is not important to be highly educated, but to many highly educated people. What is important for women is that they will be the future educators of their children.