About three in 10 female U.S. faculty and staff members, 28%, compared with 11% of their male counterparts, report feeling they were passed over for a promotion or opportunity at work because of their gender. This is approximately double the national average of 15% among working women in general that Gallup reported the last time it asked this question in 2013.
| Female faculty and staff | Male faculty and staff | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| Yes, passed over | 28 | 11 |
| No, not passed over | 72 | 89 |
| Oct. 5-29, 2021 | ||
| Gallup | ||
Results for this research are based on interviews Gallup conducted in October 2021 with 10,594 faculty and staff members nationally, currently teaching at Title IV degree-granting, two- and four-year colleges and universities.
Hispanic, Asian Female Faculty and Staff Most Likely to Feel Passed Over
Hispanic and Asian female faculty and staff are somewhat more likely than their peers to feel passed over for a promotion because of their gender, underscoring the impact of the intersectionality of race and gender for these faculty and staff members. While 28% of White female faculty and staff members report they have been passed over due to their gender, 33% of Hispanic and 30% of Asian female faculty and staff say the same. However, Black female faculty and staff are the least likely of these racial/gender groups to report this sentiment, with 24% feeling they have been passed over because of their gender.
| Yes, passed over | |
|---|---|
| % | |
| All female faculty and staff | 28 |
| Female faculty | 29 |
| Female staff | 27 |
| White female faculty and staff | 28 |
| Black female faculty and staff | 24 |
| Hispanic female faculty and staff | 33 |
| Asian female faculty and staff | 30 |
| Oct. 5-29, 2021 | |
| Gallup | |
Female Faculty and Staff Report Fewer Advancement Opportunities
Relatedly, female faculty and staff are less likely than male faculty and staff to say they have the same opportunities for advancement at their institution. Twenty-three percent of female faculty and staff strongly agree they have the same opportunities for advancement as other employees with similar experience and performance levels, compared with 32% of male faculty and staff.
| Female faculty and staff | Male faculty and staff | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 23 | 32 |
| 4 | 27 | 30 |
| 3 | 20 | 17 |
| 2 | 14 | 11 |
| Strongly disagree | 15 | 11 |
| Oct. 5-29, 2021 | ||
| Gallup | ||
Black, Asian and Hispanic female faculty and staff are less likely than their White female peers to strongly agree they have the same opportunities for advancement as other employees at their institution. Just 15% of Black, 16% of Asian and 18% of Hispanic female faculty and staff strongly agree that these opportunities are available, compared with 25% of White female faculty and staff.
| Strongly agree | |
|---|---|
| % | |
| All female faculty and staff | 23 |
| All male faculty and staff | 32 |
| Female faculty | 25 |
| Male faculty | 32 |
| Female staff | 21 |
| Male staff | 32 |
| White female faculty and staff | 25 |
| White male faculty and staff | 33 |
| Black female faculty and staff | 15 |
| Black male faculty and staff | 22 |
| Hispanic female faculty and staff | 18 |
| Hispanic male faculty and staff | 24 |
| Asian female faculty and staff | 16 |
| Asian male faculty and staff | 27 |
| Oct. 5-29, 2021 | |
| Gallup | |
Female Faculty and Staff Less Likely to Feel Paid Fairly for Their Work
About a third of female faculty and staff (35%) agree or strongly agree they are paid fairly for the work they do, compared with about half of male faculty and staff (47%). Rates are similar among female faculty and staff of different racial/ethnic groups.
| Female faculty and staff | Male faculty and staff | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | 23 | 29 |
| 3 | 21 | 20 |
| 2 | 19 | 16 |
| Strongly disagree | 25 | 17 |
| Oct. 5-29, 2021 | ||
| Gallup | ||
Implications
COVID-19 has affected all workers, but women to a far greater extent. Working women have experienced higher levels of burnout than their male colleagues (even when controlling for having children at home), and women are leaving the workforce at a staggering rate compared with their male peers. A series of policy changes are required to ensure employers give women a reason to stay -- and to return. Among them is access to in-demand remote and hybrid work environments and flexible work schedules that provide all women, particularly working mothers, with a chance to balance work and personal responsibilities. But these policy changes will merely be window dressing if the workplaces women are considering are riddled with inequity and appear to favor their male colleagues.
The 28% of women working in higher education who feel they have been passed over because of their gender is a call to action for higher ed institutions that have been silent on pay and advancement equity. It is more important than ever before that these institutions commit to creating an equitable and inclusive workplace. There are many factors pushing women from the workforce -- the promise of an inclusive workplace is an important way to pull them back toward it.
To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.
