Gender Equality Plan

The University of Waikato’s Gender Equality Plan demonstrates the University’s commitment to gender equality and traces that commitment through a set of plans, policies, procedures and monitoring processes that the University has in place and continues to develop and improve over time.

The University’s commitment to gender equality intersects with and strengthens its commitments to delivering a world-class education and research portfolio, providing a full and dynamic university experience, distinctive in character, while pursuing strong international links to advance knowledge^[1]. In particular, gender equality in the University aligns with and reinforces the University’s ongoing work to eliminate discrimination^[2], casual and systemic racism^[3], and to grow and maintain its longstanding relationship with the Kīngitanga and Waikato-Tainui, who are the traditional owners and custodians in the Waikato region^[4], alongside its commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi^[5], and the University’s contribution to the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals^[6].

While this plan may be useful for many purposes, its structure has been selected to make it clear that the University’s work toward gender equality is consistent with the requirements of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The Plan highlights the specific commitments, goals, actions and resources the institution dedicates to improving gender equality within the University and its activities to achieve that objective.

To clearly demonstrate the University’s commitment to gender equality, this plan is published on the University’s website, is signed by the Vice-Chancellor and is disseminated and communicated across the University.

Every University staff member, at all levels, is responsible for delivering the commitments and actions detailed in this plan, though particular individual roles are held accountable for specific aspects of the plan, as described below.

The University publishes regular reports on its progress toward gender equality through several different reporting channels, as described later in this plan.

The University’s goals with respect to gender equality are as follows:

• Providing equality of opportunity in employment and education irrespective of a person's sex, gender, gender identity, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, age, political opinion, employment status, family status or sexual orientation^[7].
• Developing and maintaining a workplace culture that values and supports diversity^[7].
• Identifying and eliminating any institutional barriers that cause or perpetuate, or tend to cause or perpetuate, inequality in respect of the employment or education of any person or group of persons^[7].
• Ensuring that all its policies and practices uphold the principle of equal employment and education opportunity^[7].
• Ensuring that all staff appointments are made solely on the basis of merit, and that all promotions, advancements, salary reviews and professional/career development opportunities are based solely on merit^[7].
• Improving employment opportunities for groups who are traditionally under-represented in either occupational groups or levels of seniority, in particular women, Māori and Pacific people^[7].
• The University of Waikato values people and their wellbeing (ko te tangata) and all staff of the University have a right to be treated with dignity and respect and to be free from bullying, harassment or discrimination in the workplace^[2].

The University has dedicated the following resources and expertise in gender equality to implement this plan, through a range of more specific plans, policies and procedures, as follows:

• The University has a People & Capability team including a Director, three HR advisors, five HR administrators and a Talent Acquisition Advisor, with expertise in gender equality.
• In 2021 the University established specialist family violence social work roles to provide discreet support to those dealing with violence at home^{[8], p.53}.
• The University has a diverse group of academics teaching and conducting research about the unique challenges facing women across the world^[13].
• An Employee Assistance Programme^[9] that is a voluntary confidential counselling service which the University makes available to eligible staff free of charge. This counselling support can be used when personal problems may be disrupting work and/or home life.

The University regularly publishes gender disaggregated data on personnel and students and provides annual reporting based on qualitative and quantitative indicators of progress toward gender equality, as follows:

• The University’s Annual Report reports on the gender of staff (58% female and 42% male^{[10] (Equal Employment Opportunity section}) and students (8044 female, 24 gender diverse and 5292 male in 2021^{[10] (Statistical Information Section)}, the proportion of women in senior academic positions (associate professor and professor – 40% and 31% respectively in 2021^{[10], (Equal Employment Opportunity section)}, the proportion of University leadership roles held by women (up from 44% in 2016 to over 51% in 2021^{[10], (At a glance section)}, and some high-level actions taken in the relevant year to support gender equality, including:
  • In April 2021 the Hamilton campus hosted journalist Alison Mau, speaking to staff in person and via livestream on the International Women’s Day 2021 topic of ‘Choose to Challenge’ and what it means in a University context.
  • Piloting a new Waikato Women in Leadership programme March - December 2021 which included workshops and one-on-one mentoring, and establishing the programme as business as usual from 2022.
  • Reviewing the Research and Study Leave Policy to increase flexibility and accessibility for academic staff.
  • Reviewing and revising the Children on Campus Policy to reflect the advent of the Flexible Working Policy (created in 2020) to reflect current organisational roles, and create greater flexibility.
  • Introducing staff wellbeing leave.
  • Supporting the Rainbow Staff/Student Alliance, a forum for networking, discussion and progression of takatāpui and LGBTIQ+ issues.
• Through the NZ Government website Education Counts, the University publishes gender disaggregated data on student achievement and attainment^[11], e.g. “Students gaining qualifications from tertiary education providers” page COM.24, which reports “Students completing qualifications by sub-sector, provider, gender and qualification type/NZQF level 2022”, and “Provider-based enrolments”^{[12] page ENR.38}, which shows enrolled numbers of “Domestic students by sub-sector, provider, gender and qualification type/NZQF level 2013-2022”.
• The University reports on its website on its contributions to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality)^[13], noting particularly:
  • In 2021 women made up 63.1% (1,871 of 2,963) of students starting a degree and 60.2% of the degrees we awarded (2,001 of 3,323),
  • The University’s relatively high qualification completion rate for female students of 68%, compared to 60% for male students. (Based on Tertiary Education Commission data for 2021, for the full-time NZQF Level 7 (degree level) cohort).
  • 45% of female applicants receiving unconditional offers in 2021 compared to 28% of male applicants.
• The University’s annual Whaioranga Taiao Whaioranga Tangata report demonstrates its commitment to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals through teaching, research, operations and external engagement. Among other topics, the 2022 report highlighted the second year of the Waikato Women in Leadership programme^[8] p.30, the University’s focus on flexible delivery of courses, incorporating a mix of traditional lectures and activity-based learning on campus, with online alternatives and supplementary learning made available wherever possible, to align with the diverse needs of students^{[8], p.49}; the establishment of specialist family violence social work roles to provide discreet support to those dealing with violence at home in 2021 and, in 2022, the introduction of a comprehensive new policy and set of procedures to make our zero-tolerance stance on sexual violence clear^{[8], p.52}.
• In 2023, the University implemented a new Oracle HCM (Human Capability Management) system that allows collection, reporting and analysis of a much wider range of data with respect to its staff than was previously possible, including the area of gender equality.

In addition to the Women in Leadership programmes described elsewhere in this plan, the University provides awareness-raising and training on gender equality and unconscious gender biases for staff and decision-makers. For example, the University’s Ko te Tangata programme^[14] for new and emerging leaders recognises the importance of relationships and concern for people, and highlights partnership with Māori and what this means for leaders within the University.

The University’s comprehensive violence prevention programme^[15] includes workshops on bystander intervention, responding to disclosures of violence, and (for students) street smart self-defence. Online learning for students and staff includes modules on:

• Consent matters
• Tackling harassment
• Relationships and sexual health.

The University’s Diversity and Inclusion programme^[16] has the following key elements:

• Removing barriers to participation
• Valuing diversity and inclusion
• Leadership Development
• Flexible working options
• Career development
• Work/life balance.

Work-life balance and organisational culture

The University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy^[7] commits to (among other things):

• Providing equality of opportunity in employment irrespective of a person's sex, gender, gender identity, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, age, political opinion, employment status, family status or sexual orientation.
• Developing and maintaining a workplace culture that values and supports diversity.

As part of ensuring a healthy and safe working environment, the University is also committed to the overall wellbeing of staff^[17]. As such, the University takes a proactive approach to supporting staff wellbeing and aims to enable everyone to best support themselves and provide guidance.

In particular, the University provides resources to support staff in maintaining an effective work-life balance^[17] and an Employee Assistance Programme^[19] that is a voluntary confidential counselling service which the University makes available to eligible staff free of charge. This counselling support can be used when personal problems may be disrupting work and/or home life.

The University of Waikato has a legal obligation under Part 6AA of the Employment Relations Act 2000 and its Amendments to allow employees to request a variation to their hours of work, days of work, or place of work. To meet that obligation, the University has a Flexible Working Arrangements Policy^[20] which “aims to provide a working environment that supports and enables engagement and productivity through flexible and inclusive working practices without detrimentally impacting operational efficiency, collaboration and effectiveness, and the ready availability of staff to students and other stakeholders”. Flexible working arrangement options at the University of Waikato include working remotely, part-time, compressed working week or working year, and phased retirement.

The University has a generous parental leave policy that provides six weeks of paid leave in addition to that provided by the NZ Government^[21], there is a crèche and kōhanga reo childcare at the Hamilton Campus, and generous sick leave provisions to ensure staff members have time to look after themselves and immediate whanau/family during periods of sickness or injury^[22].

The University has a Safety and Wellness Policy^[23], in which the University is committed (among other things) to “effective workplace safety and wellness management system with evaluation and management review for continuous improvement” and the University “promotes excellence in safety and wellness leadership and a positive culture of safety and wellness”. Executive managers (e.g. Pro Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Directors or equivalent) are responsible for exercising due diligence (equivalent to that of Officers and leadership in other types of organisation, such as companies) that ensures effective implementation of the University’s safety and wellness management system across the areas of their portfolios. Staff, students and visitors are responsible for taking reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others, and complying with any reasonable instruction, policy or procedure of the University in relation to safety.

The University’s Staff Code of Conduct^[24] addresses many requirements to achieve the University’s desired organisational culture. Among other requirements of the Code of Conduct, staff are obliged to:

• Take all due care and responsibility to uphold the reputation of the University and not engage in activities which would justifiably bring the University into disrepute.
• Treat other staff, and students, with respect at all times and always behave in a  courteous, professional and collegial manner.
• Recognise that the University does not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination and avoid behaviours which may be perceived by others as bullying, harassment or discrimination.
• Uphold and contribute to the implementation of the principles of equal employment opportunity contained in the University's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.
• Not allow personal relationships with staff or students to affect or appear to affect the professional relationship between them, and ensure that any close personal relationships, as defined in the Interests (Conflicts of Interest) Policy, do not compromise the professional standards expected of them, particularly where staff have direct responsibility for, or involvement in, the management, teaching, supervision, assessment and/or pastoral care of staff and/or students.
• Refrain from acting in any way that would unfairly harm the reputation or career prospects of other staff.

Failing to comply with these obligations is regarded as misconduct or serious misconduct, which may lead to disciplinary action or dismissal from the University.

Gender balance in leadership and decision-making

As noted earlier, the University has increasing proportions of women in senior academic positions (associate professor and professor – 40% and 31% respectively in 2021^{[10], Equal Employment Opportunity section}) and the proportion of University leadership roles held by women has been increased from 44% in 2016 to over 51% in 2021^{[10], At a glance section}.

To build further toward gender balance in leadership and decision-making, the University supports Te Manahua – New Zealand Universities Women in Leadership programme (NZWIL)^[25], to which it sends at least two academic staff and two general staff each year. The programmes have been developed by a steering committee of experienced academic and senior women leaders, one for each of two target groups:

• Women in, or aspiring to, senior leadership positions in academia such as professors, associate professors, Heads of School or departments, Associate Deans, Chairs of major university committees, or principal investigators on major research projects.
• Women in, or aspiring to, administrative leadership positions. This includes those with responsibility for budget and people or significant functions, including directors or managers of student administration, facilities management, student services, communications and marketing, student recruitment, human resources, finance, international, legal, library, and faculty/school managers.

NZWIL involves a 5-day intensive, interactive residential programme, designed to stimulate, engage and boost the skills of women who attend. The University of Waikato selects two nominees for each of the annual NZWIL programmes and sponsors their attendance.

The University also delivers its own Waikato Women in Leadership programme^{[8], p.30} which runs from April until November each year and was launched in 2021. It includes one-on-one mentoring, peer mentoring by colleagues and monthly workshops delivered by in-house experts exploring topics ranging from cultural leadership, work/life balance, career planning and finances.

The University of Waikato Women Professors’ Network^[26], provides mentoring and peer support to women professors.

Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

The University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy^[7] commits to:

• Providing equality of opportunity in employment irrespective of a person's sex, gender, gender identity, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, age, political opinion, employment status, family status or sexual orientation.
• Developing and maintaining a workplace culture that values and supports diversity
• Identifying and eliminating any institutional barriers that cause or perpetuate, or tend to cause or perpetuate, inequality in respect of the employment of any person or group of persons.
• Ensuring that all its policies and practices uphold the principle of equal employment opportunity.
• Ensuring that all staff appointments are made solely on the basis of merit, and that all promotions, advancements, salary reviews and professional/career development opportunities are based solely on merit.
• Improving employment opportunities for groups who are traditionally under-represented in either occupational groups or levels of seniority, in particular women, Māori and Pacific people.

The University’s equal employment opportunities policy is underpinned by a diversity and inclusion programme, the current goals of which are to^{[10], (Equal Employment Opportunity section}:

• Strengthen the University’s commitment to equal opportunity by ensuring that diversity and inclusion principles are incorporated into organisational development, recruitment, retention, promotion/advancement, succession planning and professional development.
• Strengthen the University of Waikato as an inclusive workplace that fosters and supports equity, diversity and inclusion in the University community.
• Provide learning across ethnicities including linguistic, religious and sociocultural groups and genders to improve career opportunities and a diversity of representation in leadership positions.
• Provide additional support for specific groups.

The University’s Committee Directory^[27] entry for Appointment Committees requires that appointment committees must include at least one woman (ibid p.63) and committees such as the Academic Promotions Committee, General Staff Salary review Committee, Staff Awards Committee, the University Leadership Group and the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Leadership Committee are all diverse with respect to the gender, ethnicity, academic and professional backgrounds of the members.

Integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content

The University has a Gender Research Network^[28], which is a cross-discipline collective of staff and students with shared research interests in gender-related issues, and the Women Professors’ Network^[26] provides peer support for women professors.

Sex and gender studies are key strengths of the University and many of the University’s academic staff integrate the gender dimension into their research and teaching. A few of the leading examples include:

• Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academic, Professor Robyn Longhurst^[29] is a leading teacher and researcher in human geography, with a focus on feminist theory, feminist methodologies, social and cultural geography. She has been editor-in-chief of the international journal Gender, Place and Culture and Chair of the International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on Gender and Geography - a group of approximately 600 scholars from 50 different countries.
• Professor Holly Thorpe^[30] is currently exploring how New Zealand women have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in a new multi-disciplinary project. She is an award-winning sociologist of sport, physical culture and gender, and is a recipient of both Fulbright and Leverhulme Fellowships.
• Dr Jamie Veale^[31] is a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology. Jamie is also the director of the Transgender Health Research Lab, home of the Counting Ourselves project and helps to lead the University of Waikato Rainbow Staff/Student Alliance.
• Professor Lynda Johnston^[32] is a Professor of Geography and is the University’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor Sustainability. Her teaching, research and community interests are centred on social and cultural geographies, in particular people's embodied (gendered, sexualised, raced, disabled) everyday experiences of place.

Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment

The University has a comprehensive violence prevention programme^[33] that aims to prevent interpersonal violence and promote safer campuses. Training elements of that programme are noted above under “Training”.

The University of Waikato has a zero-tolerance stance towards violence. Violence impacts the health and wellbeing of students and staff and may be in breach of the University’s:

• Interpersonal Violence Policy^[34],
• Sexual Violence Policy^[35],
• Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Policy^[2]
• Code of Student Conduct^[36], and/or
• Staff Code of Conduct^[24].

The University’s Interpersonal Violence Procedures^[37] and Sexual Violence Procedures^[38] provide guidance on the University of Waikato's response and prevention regarding interpersonal violence, family violence, and sexual violence. The Interpersonal Violence Procedures also reference a University of Waikato Personal Safety Plan^[39] for people who have been harmed and who are harming others.