Antonine University (UA) staff members actively participated in a five-day workshop on Gendered Data Collection and Index Calculation System, which was held in Madrid from June 5 to 9, 2023. The training was jointly organized by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and University of Sousse under the European project Women’s Empowerment for LEADership and Equity in Higher Education Institutions (WE4LEAD), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union (EU).

In accordance with UA substantial efforts geared towards supporting women’s access to leadership positions, the WE4LEAD project aims to set the framework for a fully inclusive higher education governance and increase decision-makers’ awareness of gender inequalities. In this context, Ms. Elyse Abi Khers, Assistant at the Office of the Rector and the Vice Rectorate for Administration (VRA), and Ms. Elissa Naoum, Executive Assistant at the Secretariat General (SG), duly represented UA in this workshop. The primary purpose of the workshop was to build the capacity of 6 partner institutions from Algeria, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Italy to collect and disseminate gendered data, in order to monitor gender equality as well as to highlight possible ways to address stereotype threat and gender implicit bias.

The workshop helped establish a common ground for gendered data collection in each of the following components: yearly income, academic promotion, and mobility. It served as an introductory course to the calculation of the corresponding indices, considered as basic quantitative data synthesis tools for better decision-making to narrow the gender gap. Furthermore, it allowed the participants to further familiarize themselves with data analysis, visualization, and dissemination through Excel (and its dynamic charts) and Power BI (and its dashboards), better assess horizontal and vertical gender segregation, and diagnose meticulously the different types of discrepancies that frame the gap in gender inequality in HEIs, including the traditional mindset, cultural determinants still relying on anatomy, and the structure of power relations dominated by the masculine discourse.

After understanding the structure, functioning, and specificity of each institution, the results of the evaluation will be used to steer targeted action to remove the barriers that block women’s progression. It is worth noting that the first dashboard will be created in September 2023, and a complete report will be issued in February 2024, after the implementation of a common system among the participating universities. An annual report is then expected to be prepared and submitted in the next 2 years.