Gender equality progress touted by University of Waterloo at United Nations

The University of Waterloo says it has made progress in gender equality since becoming part of the HeForShe Impact 10x10x10 initiative.

In 2015, ten universities, ten CEO’s, and ten heads of state from around the world committed their organizations to gender equality goals by 2020.

“We are extremely determined to remove, to demolish all the barriers that were put artificially, in one way or another in front of women,” UW president and vice chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpar told CBC News.

“We are determined to remove these barriers through various means.”

Hamdullahpar, who attended the HeForShe Impact Event hosted by UN Women in New York City on Wednesday, said the second annual report suggests there has been an increase in the number of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, a rise in the number of female faculty and a boost in the number of women in leadership roles.

The report found:

• 35 per cent increase of women in STEM outreach.
• 29 per cent of faculty members are women.
• 27.5 per cent of leadership positions are occupied by women.
• 30 per cent of first year engineering seats are occupied by women.

HeForShe Impact monitors the progress of commitments made by the universities to close the gender gap in administration, academia, gender equality and ending violence on campus.

“In ten years, [we] won’t be having this conversation because hopefully it will be a different world and we will have accomplished all these things,” Hamdullahpur said.

You can read the report here: HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 University Parity Report.