The gender gap in high-ranking positions is a well-known issue. Interestingly, this does not correspond to the number of females versus males pursuing higher education degrees. But why can we observe such a gap in the business world, when we have quite similar numbers of females as males in higher education with often higher results than males? This article examines the discrepancy between women in higher education and women in high-ranking business positions.
Higher education vs high ranking positions
Higher education is a potent tool to help individuals realize their true potential, hone their skills, and prepare for the job market. Currently, young women are more likely to be enrolled in college than young men. Since the mid-1980s, women in the United States have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men. American colleges and universities even enroll roughly six women for every four men. So, why has this trend not translated into board rooms and other high-ranking positions?
Female students are even outperforming their male colleagues at university. Studies show that women graduate at higher rates than men: men who enroll in a four-year college program were 10% less likely than women to graduate within four years. Women have been shown to outperform boys across several age groups by receiving better grades and for being less likely to misbehave in classrooms. Statistically speaking, girls have significantly higher grades than boys by 6.3 percent.
Even though women are performing better, they are not receiving the corresponding rewards. This is reflected in the positions they end up holding on the job market, both in academia and the business world.
Research conducted at Cardiff University found that male academics reached more senior levels than their female counterparts. If we look at the U.K. higher education sector, we see that only a quarter of professors are female.
Even with women excelling academically in 2020, they still represented only 5% of CEOs globally, comparing to the astonishing 95% held by men. They are being outnumbered by approximately 17 to one. These ratios are shocking, even more so when we see that women hold just 24% of senior leadership positions
An incentive for change
Overall, there is an enormous gap between the number of females and males in power positions. Women have been facing gender bias, sexual harassment, and oppressing structures in the workplace for ages. The changes have been positive throughout the years; however, they have not been nearly enough.
It is urgent that we start giving women and men the same opportunities, and this includes giving rewards based on merit, beyond educational rewards. To challenge the status quo and allow more females to translate their academic success into work success, there needs to be research on the structural factors that explain why females outperform males in higher education, but not on to the job market.
Co-written by Católica Equality for Business club and Nova Women in Business Club
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