Abstract
In 2021, a research team was awarded Australian Research Council Discovery Project funding for a project entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities.
To investigate this topic, a four phased, mixed methods research project was designed that involved:
1) Auditing all 39 of Australian public university websites, looking for gender equity policies and if and where the word ‘sexism’ appeared;
2) Interviewing key women and gender diverse stakeholders with diverse identity characteristics (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; women of colour; sexuality diverse) working in relevant positions (STEM leaders, Equity Officers, Complaints Officers);
3) Designing and distributing a mixed methods large-scale survey to 12 Australian universities (N = 1257 responses);
4) Conducting three creative focus groups in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Based on these findings this micro-credential was developed. It is intended to be taken by all employees at Australian Universities
To investigate this topic, a four phased, mixed methods research project was designed that involved:
1) Auditing all 39 of Australian public university websites, looking for gender equity policies and if and where the word ‘sexism’ appeared;
2) Interviewing key women and gender diverse stakeholders with diverse identity characteristics (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; women of colour; sexuality diverse) working in relevant positions (STEM leaders, Equity Officers, Complaints Officers);
3) Designing and distributing a mixed methods large-scale survey to 12 Australian universities (N = 1257 responses);
4) Conducting three creative focus groups in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Based on these findings this micro-credential was developed. It is intended to be taken by all employees at Australian Universities
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Research-Informed Resource |
| Media of output | Interactive Website |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Research Background:Our Australian Research Council-funded research explored Australian academics’ experiences of ‘everyday sexisms’ and related correlates and predictors using multiple data sources, including an online survey of 1,257 academics from 12 public universities. To date, findings from this project have been disseminated through ‘traditional’ academic outputs.
Research Contribution:
The research-based, online interactive resource, “Micro-Credential: Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms” uses findings from the project’s mixed-method analyses of closed- and open-ended data to create a series of interactive experiences, allowing individuals to engage with the project findings in a more creative, embodied and accessible manner. The site incorporates written material, drawing from statistical analyses and participant quotations, as well as supplementary and contextual academic research from the field, to create both ‘activities’ and multi-media creative experiences. Research participants’ experiences of ‘everyday sexisms’ as well as of resistance to universities’ diversity and equity initiatives reveal the need for professional development and policy renewal in higher education.
Research Significance:
Unlike ‘traditional’ academic texts which are designed for just one form of knowledge translation, this creative, non-traditional research output encourages empathetic connection with academics experiencing ‘everyday sexisms’ and exposes underlying resistance to inclusive practices, designed to inspire workplace cultural reflectivity and change. The interactive website, which takes roughly 45-minutes to explore in full, commences with detail about the research project and key concepts. Written to allow for asynchronous, open-access engagement, this resource addresses the need for policy reform and academics’ professional development in the areas of diversity, inclusion and intersectional marginalisation.
