1. LSE, Gender and Economic History Janet Hunter Economic History Department LSE

2. Commitment to gender equality at institutional and departmental level 2007/8 –Undergraduates = 50% male:50% female –Graduates = 46% male:54% female –Women = 30% permanent full time academic staff Average starting salaries of male and female employees very similar

3. Gendered Hierarchies Women employees more likely to be fixed term, non-career track, part-time Salary level disparities increase higher up the hierarchy (pension implications) Average basic pay across salaried academic employees not strongly differentiated by gender Statistically significant difference between women and men in number of increments awarded Starting salaries at promotion gender- differentiated (women may have to achieve more at lower levels to be promoted)

4. Academic Employment, Dec.2007 WomenMen Research and Teaching 28.1%71.9% Research only57.1%42.9%

5. Professorial Numbers Men%Women% 19967692.767.3 End 2007 15380.53719.5

6. Gendered Hierarchies – the Professoriate In 2008 women = 21% all professors (inc. hourly paid/casual), and 18.4% full time professors This figure is not dissimilar to the figures of 14- 22% across top Ivy League colleges Women professors lower paid on average than male counterparts Undisclosed salaries above the disclosed professorial pay scale applying only to men Women take longer to get to the professorial level and proportionately older than male professors

7. Economic History Department - Students Undergraduates –Women = c.30-40% registered EH undergraduates, below School average Graduates –Women = 32% applicants to taught degrees in 2007/8, and 34.5% of those holding offers –Under a quarter of applicants holding offers for the Research track degree were female –The proportion of female graduate students in EH is considerably lower than the School-wide figure –Figures similar to those of Economics Department, but lower than eg. Development Studies & International History

9. Graduate Applicants to EH Degrees 2003-42004-52005-62006-72007-8 Male (%) 62.7269.2364.6371.3467.21 Female (%) 37.2830.7735.3728.0332.78

11. Economic History Department - Staff Balanced at professorial level Women = 33% all staff working in EH Academics: –If fixed term research staff are excluded no women in EH below professorial level –The gender imbalance has worsened as the Department has expanded All staff in EH would like to see more women faculty

12. Problem 1 – Gender Imbalance among Graduate Students Possible reasons –Lack of understanding of nature of economic history at LSE? –Perception of degrees as ‘technical’ or econometric? –Failure to attract students from history backgrounds? –Absence of many courses on Britain? –Non-vocational?

13. Problem 2 – Gender Balance among Academic Staff Possible reasons –Fewer women at graduate level is related to the existence of fewer female academics –International character of LSE, with higher international mobility of male academics? –Perceived characteristics of EH at LSE (eg. lack of diversity) deter applicants from non- social science/non-technical backgrounds? –Broad spectrum of geographical coverage and methodological range – area studies –Seniority of many lectureship applicants –Nature of appointments system at LSE

14. What should we do? Danger of perceptions becoming actual situation Gender imbalance at all levels produces a vicious circle How to market the diversity of EH at LSE without diluting our existing strengths?