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Narrowing the gender gap for motherhood-friendly higher education
Building capacity in female academics as well as curbing the neoliberal orientation of how academic achievements are measured can help tackle the gender-based inequality that continues to persist in higher education, not only in Indonesia but also around the world.
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A female executive addresses a gathering in this stock illustration. The ratio of female to male professors in Indonesia is a concerning 1:10. (Shutterstock/File)
W
omen’s Day, which is celebrated nationwide today, owes its origin to the first women’s congress organized by activists from Java and Sumatra on Dec. 22-25, 1928. The government declared Dec. 22 as Women’s Day only in 1959, through Presidential Decree No. 316/1959, to recognize the spirit and efforts of Indonesian women in improving the nation's well-being.
The commemoration of Women’s Day this year has a special significance for women in higher education in general, and in particular for Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), which is inaugurating 15 female professors today.
This is a milestone in the country’s campaign on women having a bigger role in higher education, which in itself indicates improvement in the quality of Indonesia’s education. UIN Jakarta had only four female professors in 2012, and 11 years later, the number has increased sixfold to 24.
Such an achievement is extraordinary, considering that UIN Jakarta is a university that falls under the Religious Affairs Ministry and that religion, especially Islam, is often regarded as a factor legitimizing the patriarchal culture.
Although the number of female professors has increased significantly, a yawning gender gap still prevails, as the university has 104 male professors. The proportion of women recognized for achieving the highest academic position accounts for less than 19 percent of their opposite gender.
Gender-based inequality also exists in other aspects too, such as differential treatment between male and female scholars in terms of job satisfaction, prestige, legitimacy and recognition, as well as gaps in terms of leadership, funding and resources. Psychologically, female scholars perceive themselves as less suited to the current academic standards, which are rooted in masculine values.
In fact, the gender gap in higher education is a global phenomenon. The issue is a major concern in Western countries that rank high in the gender gap index (GGI).
