systems which are used for promotions, access to training and desirable job
assignments which intend to favour those that have personal ties to decision
makers and which fail to provide an opportunity for those outside of the
informal networks to have their qualifications considered.
The Cambridge Unconscious Bias Training Model
The under-representation of women in science, engineering and technology
(SET) was recognised in the Government White Paper, Realising our
Potential, in 1993. More recently, in 2002, the report SET Fair: A report o
Women in Science, Engineering and Technology gave an overview of the
situation and made a number of recommendations. The formation of the UK
Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology was
part of the Government’s response to SET Fair. Not only are women under-
represented in SET subjects, but Anderson and Connolly (2006) found that
just under a quarter of the 22% gender pay gap in SET in higher education is
unexplained.
The Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Initiative (WiSETI) at
the University of Cambridge was set up in 1999 in response to continuing
concern about the under-representation of women at all levels in SET in the
University, as illustrated in Table 1.
Biological Sciences |
Physical Sciences |
Technology | |
1999 |
_______17%_______ |
______7%______ |
______7%______ |
2003 |
______24%______ |
_______11%_______ |
______9%______ |
2007 |
______27%______ |
_______11%_______ |
_______10%_______ |
Table 1: Women as a percentage of academic staff in SET disciplines at the
University of Cambridge.