University leaders share gender-responsive strategy insights

University leaders this month called for more gender-responsive policies in higher education institutions amid an urgent need to strengthen the role of women researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and, most importantly, in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The International Association of Universities (IAU) and the European Women Rectors’ Association (EWORA) brought together academic leaders from the Global North and South for a webinar on 5 March to discuss universities’ role in gender equality.

The discussion on the theme “Gender equality in higher education and research strategies for empowerment” explored topics such as advancing gender equality through teaching, research and campus initiatives.

During opening remarks Professor Kerstin Tham, president of EWORA, said: “In universities around the world, high academic quality in both education and research are an overarching goal. The knowledge we produce through education should be research-based, but also relevant to society at large.

“To reach the goal of high academic quality, we need to cultivate academic leadership and culture; incorporating strategies for gender equality, diversity and inclusion is important when cultivating academic culture and quality.”

Role of university networks

Dr Hilligje van't Land, secretary general of the IAU, said universities must integrate gender perspectives into research and teaching to create inclusive and equitable academic environments. Since 2018, IAU's Global Cluster on Higher Education and Sustainable
Development (HESD) has focused on aligning SDG 4 (quality education) with SDG 5 (gender equality) to support students, academics and staff through gender-inclusive policies.

Van’t Land said: “University networks provide a platform to develop and implement best practices for gender equity. Gender-responsive strategies must be embedded across all levels of academia, from research and teaching to leadership and institutional policies.

“Higher education must work closely with industry and policymakers to ensure gender equity extends beyond academia into the labour market, and universities need strong policies and, more importantly, effective implementation and enforcement to drive real change.”

The president of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, Professor Anders Söderholm, spoke about the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in addressing gender-related issues.

“Regardless of expertise, professionals must understand how their work connects to broader societal and environmental contexts. Artificial intelligence models, for example, require collaboration between machine-learning experts and researchers from social sciences, ethics and gender studies.

“Many challenges in science and technology cannot be solved within a single discipline. By engaging experts from different fields, research can become more holistic, inclusive, and impactful,” he noted.

Shared narratives

Professor Pamela Gillies, former principal and vice-chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, said that academic institutions promote gender equality in many ways, including through advocacy, lobbying and programmes such as the Aurora Tech Award, which recognises women founders of IT start-ups.

“Sharing stories about sustaining female leadership is clearly important at the present time. Sharing narratives of success and challenges that women must overcome in safe environments are certainly needed, and we believe that is one of the safe havens where this support can be found,” she stated.

Gillies said that equally important are the stories of women researchers’ journeys in academia, especially during the initial stages. This contributes towards charting their progress and helping women build and engage in influential academic life and research.

“We strongly contend that universities and, indeed, societies around the world, are desperately in need of values-led leadership, academic values, democratic principles and human rights,” she said.

Commitment to gender equality

Professor Sunungurai Chingarande, the vice-chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa (WUA) based in Zimbabwe, provided perspectives into key policies and initiatives that support women's leadership, research opportunities and professional growth in academia at the institution.

WUA is at the forefront of advancing gender equality in higher education by advocating equity in research and STEM fields. The university stands out as a model for how policy changes, leadership support, and institutional incentives can empower more women to pursue academic
careers.

Chingarande said the WUA was founded in 2002 in response to government initiatives aimed at increasing women's access to education, and gender equality was a fundamental principle embedded in institutional policies and operations.

“The university maintains an enrolment target of 85% women and 15% men, ensuring more opportunities for women.

“Women occupy key leadership positions, including the university council chairperson, board chairperson, vice-chancellor, and student representative council president. Out of our three faculties, two are led by women, and most of our directors are female,” she said.

Gender-responsive policies

Chingarande emphasised that a gender audit to assess gaps and challenges in gender representation and participation was also conducted at the institution, leading to the development of a gender-mainstreaming strategy and action plan aimed at informing institutional policies and practices.

“Some of the issues that came through from the audit were that men and women have different roles and responsibilities in society, and they follow them, even when they come to the universities as staff members and also as students,” she said.

The university leadership responded to the audit by establishing a daycare centre to assist female staff and students with childcare needs and support their work-life balance. A nursing mothers’ lounge was also created to provide a comfortable space for breastfeeding mothers.

Flexible learning models, including online classes, were introduced to accommodate diverse student needs and gender-responsive pedagogy training for academic staff to ensure inclusive teaching practices.

The university allocates specific funds for gender-related initiatives, ensuring financial backing for gender programmes. “We apply a gender lens in procurement, ensuring that university purchases and infrastructure projects consider gender inclusivity,” Chingarande said.

WUA also introduced a STEM centre and bridging mathematics programme to help women students meet the entry requirements for STEM disciplines and pursue careers in science and technology.

Students’ role

Sabrine Yassine, representing the Global Student Forum (GSF), outlined three key pillars from GSF's 2025 Gender Mainstreaming Strategy. These include transformative leadership and institutional accountability, challenging systemic barriers, and fostering inclusive practices, as well as building alliances and advocacy for systemic change.

“Gender equality in universities isn't just about representation – it requires structural change, meaningful participation and collaboration between students, faculty and policymakers. Student unions play a crucial role in holding institutions accountable and pushing for lasting progress,” Yassine said.