CHEAD is pleased to launch a working paper arising from its Women in Leadership event in May 2025: Cracking the Code – Progression and Promotion which sought to challenge prevailing promotion systems in HE as well as offering a space of creative leadership, solidarity and community-building.
Women’s representation in higher education has improved, yet leadership and governance roles still show persistent inequality. Despite legal and policy frameworks promoting gender parity, men remain advantaged throughout academic careers, and reduced gender gaps often hide women’s concentration in lower grades or their exit from the sector.
The paper recommends institutional, regulatory and legislative changes to ensure equitable routes to senior roles.
The paper is co-authored by:
Professor Rowan Bailey, Strategic Lead for Research in the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Huddersfield
Sandra Booth, FRSA, Director of Policy and External Relations, CHEAD
Professor Catherine Dormor, PhD, FRSA, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Creative Arts & Technologies at the University of Westminster
Dr Catherine Glover, FRSA, Northumbria University Distinguished Teaching Fellow 2025 and Assistant Professor, School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, Northumbria University.
Professor (Dr.) Rhiannon Jones FRSA, Head of Civic and Communities at the University of Derby and founder of CivicLAB™