Women miss top uni jobs

An AUT spokeswoman said the report was not made public as it was "commissioned for internal use only".

A damning report showing women at the Auckland University of Technology were occupying increasingly fewer senior academic roles was kept out of the public domain.

According to the report, of which the Weekend Herald obtained a draft, AUT was the only university to show a decrease in the proportion of women in senior academic roles between 2003 and 2010, declining from 29.41 to just 24.79 per cent.

The report also found women at AUT in senior academic roles were paid less than male counterparts in senior positions and were also less likely to apply for promotions or be successful in promotion applications. Only 27 per cent of applicants for professor jobs were female and women had a 50 per cent rate compared with men's 56 per cent.

Despite the back-slide, AUT ranked second among all universities for female participation. Across the sector women occupied one-fifth, or 22.45 per cent, of senior roles.

Suzanne McNabb, the national women's officer for the Tertiary Education Union, said the report had been the subject of much conjecture in the academic community but had never been made public.

"Quite why it didn't see the light of day I'm not sure," she said.

The report said unhelpful academic year scheduling - with universities' holidays out of sync with school holidays which penalised primary caregivers - and a tendency for male staff to informally mentor young men were major barriers to increasing women's participation.

Ms McNabb said women now accounted for 76 per cent of tertiary graduates, but the pace of change in universities at the upper tiers was glacial.

"What is happening is too slow - tiny little improvements - when we ought to be leading the way in terms of women in senior positions."

An AUT spokeswoman said the report was not made public as it was "commissioned for internal use only".

The spokeswoman said AUT had taken steps following the report to improve gender equity, including leadership programmes for female staff, and had improved on the proportion of senior academic staff to 26.8 per cent in 2012.

Meanwhile Equal Opportunities Commissioner and former National MP Jackie Blue has written to Deputy Prime Minister Bill English to offer practical solutions in a landmark equal pay case.

The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of Lower Hutt aged-care worker Kristine Bartlett, who claimed it was unfair and in breach of the Equal Pay Act of 1972 for her to be paid only $14.46 an hour after 20 years working at the same rest home, when men in other occupations with similar skills and responsibilities were paid more.

Business New Zealand says the effect will be limited, especially if the Supreme Court overturns the decision or the Government changes the law to stop any knock-on claims.

"My view is that the potential impact of the case is far-reaching," Dr Blue told the Weekend Herald .

"The outcome could extend to female dominated occupations that are better paid but which are nevertheless undervalued."