Gender Inequality in NZ Universities: More Women Becoming Professors But Persistent Gender Gaps in Promotions, Pay, and Leadership

Progress in Reaching Professorial Ranks

New Zealand universities have witnessed a notable increase in the number of women achieving professorial status in recent years. For instance, at the University of Waikato, the proportion of female professors rose from 25 percent in 2019 to 34 percent in 2024. This shift reflects broader efforts to promote gender equity in higher education, including targeted leadership development programs and equity frameworks adopted by institutions. Despite this advancement, the pipeline to senior academic roles remains uneven. Women continue to face lower odds—less than half those of men—of reaching associate professor or full professor positions, even when accounting for factors like research performance and age.

This paradox highlights a glass ceiling effect, where initial gains at lower ranks do not fully translate to the top tiers. Universities such as the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology have reported slow but steady increases in female senior academics, yet men still dominate the highest pay brackets, with three to six times more men earning above NZ$210,000 at select institutions. Aspiring academics can explore opportunities through platforms like professor jobs in New Zealand to navigate these pathways.

Unpacking Persistent Gender Pay Gaps

Gender pay disparities remain a stubborn challenge in New Zealand's academic sector. A landmark study analyzing data from 2003 to 2012 estimated a lifetime gender pay gap of approximately NZ$400,000 for female academics compared to their male counterparts. More recent university-specific reports paint a similar picture. At the University of Auckland, the 2024 median hourly gender pay gap stood at 11.9 percent overall, with academic staff showing a 14.1 percent gap. For Asian women academics, this disparity reaches 33.5 percent.

The University of Otago's 2025 Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report revealed a median gap of 8.3 percent across all staff, down from 9.9 percent in 2024, though the mean gap was 11.3 percent. Academic pay gaps at Otago widened to 20 percent in 2025 from 18 percent the previous year. These figures exceed the national median of 5.2 percent as of mid-2025. Factors contributing to these gaps include uneven distribution across roles, with women overrepresented in lower-paid professional support positions and underrepresented in high-salary senior academic brackets.

These statistics underscore the need for ongoing audits and transparent reporting, as mandated by equity policies. For career advice on negotiating salaries, resources at higher ed career advice can provide actionable insights.

Promotion Pipelines and Barriers

The journey from lecturer to professor involves rigorous performance reviews, research output measured via the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF), and service contributions. However, research shows men's odds of promotion to senior ranks are more than double women's, even after controlling for PBRF scores, age, field, and institution. Women often improve their research scores faster than men at lower ranks but experience slower promotion rates—for example, 34 percent versus 46 percent from senior lecturer.

Unobserved factors like heavier teaching and administrative loads on women explain part of this, alongside motherhood penalties where career progression stalls post-childbirth. In STEM fields, the gaps are pronounced, with no women heading science divisions at some universities. Concrete examples include disciplines like engineering and sciences, where male dominance persists despite women comprising nearly half of PhD completions.

• Research performance and age account for less than half the pay gap post-promotion.
• Motherhood leads to internalized barriers and reduced leadership aspirations.
• Funding success rates favor economically oriented research, disadvantaging female-heavy humanities.

Leadership Disparities at the Top

While progress is evident in some leadership metrics—women now hold 56.3 percent of roles like vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, provosts, pro vice-chancellors, and executive deans—the picture is mixed. Only 37.5 percent of top vice-chancellor positions are held by women, and heads of department (37 percent) and deans (25 percent) remain male-dominated based on historical data from 2002–2017. Overrepresentation occurs in academic (83.3 percent), Māori (71.4 percent), and health leadership (66.7 percent), but science leadership lacks female heads.

The 2025 government budget's emphasis on science and innovation saw women's share of Marsden Fund principal investigators drop from 47.8 percent to 34.2 percent, exacerbating gaps. For those eyeing leadership, programs like Te Manahua have trained 669 women since inception, fostering skills for senior roles. Explore higher ed executive jobs for openings.

Factors Driving Gender Inequity

Several interconnected issues perpetuate these gaps. Parental leave policies offer only 6–12 weeks at full pay, falling short of WHO (14 weeks minimum) and ILO standards, unlike Australia's 26 weeks equivalent. Post-maternity, women often deprioritize leadership. Funding shifts disadvantage social sciences and humanities, fields with higher female representation and lower success rates.

Ethnic intersections compound issues: Pacific and Asian women face larger gaps. Cultural norms and unconscious bias in committees further hinder progress. Step-by-step, promotion processes involve PBRF evaluations every six years, grant applications, and peer reviews—areas where subtle biases accumulate.

Initiatives and University Responses

New Zealand universities are proactive. The Te Manahua New Zealand Universities Women in Leadership Programme supports academic and professional women through targeted development, with all eight universities participating. Annual pay gap reports at Auckland, Otago, and others drive accountability.

• Equity Demographic Data Summaries and audits.
• Training on unconscious bias and bicultural competency.
• Policy reviews for promotions, hiring, and remuneration.
• Staff networks and sociodemographic data campaigns.

Otago's Pay Gap Steering Group includes diverse leaders, while Auckland develops a Gender Equity Strategy for 2026. For broader opportunities, check university jobs in NZ.

Impacts on Careers and Retention

These gaps affect retention, with women facing stalled careers and financial losses. Lifetime earnings shortfalls limit retirement security and career mobility. Student impacts include role model scarcity in leadership, particularly in STEM. Real-world cases, like Asian women academics earning 33.5 percent less at Auckland, highlight urgency.

Stakeholder views: Unions like TEU advocate pay equity; experts call for better parental support. Implications extend to innovation, as diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones.

Solutions and Actionable Insights

To close gaps:

1. Extend parental leave to 26 weeks full-pay equivalent with return-to-work guarantees.
2. Implement blind review processes for grants and promotions.
3. Set targets for women in STEM leadership and high-pay brackets.
4. Enhance funding equity across disciplines.
5. Expand programs like Te Manahua.

Individuals can build PBRF portfolios early, seek mentors, and negotiate assertively. Resources at academic CV tips help.

Photo by Amos Haring on Unsplash

Future Outlook for Gender Equity

With narrowing overall pay gaps and rising female professors, optimism exists, but sustained action is key. The 2026 budget and TEC strategies could accelerate change. Monitoring via annual reports will track progress. AcademicJobs.com positions itself as a resource for equitable careers—visit Rate My Professor, higher ed jobs, and career advice for support. In New Zealand's context of bicultural commitment, inclusive equity benefits Māori and Pacific women too.