AUT releases 5th annual Pay Gaps report
The commitment to reducing gender and ethnic pay gaps includes AUT reporting annually on measures, progress and challenges.
The 2024 Pay Gaps Report shows a median gender pay gap of 9.8%, up from 9.3% the year before. Māori and Pacific pay gaps are decreasing, the median gap for MELAA (Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African) colleagues remains stable, while the median pay gap for Asian colleagues has increased.
The median gender pay gap of 9.8% compares to 8.2% NZ-wide. It is significantly lower than the two other New Zealand universities whose pay gaps have been reported at 12.4% and 11.9%.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Damon Salesa noted that meaningful progress has been made, including increasing representation of women in mid-senior roles and making strides towards pay equity at the highest academic ranks.
“While acknowledging these positive achievements, our commitment remains firm in addressing ongoing disparities and continually improving equitable career opportunities.
“This report transparently identifies our successes alongside areas where targeted and sustained efforts will continue.
“Creating lasting change involves collective commitment from across our university community. Through focused strategic initiatives, improved policies, and ongoing dialogue, we aim to foster an environment where every staff member has equal opportunities to thrive and succeed,” he said.
Key opportunities identified in the report will see an immediate focus on four areas:
- Increase the representation of females in higher academic ranks
- Encourage female academic staff to apply for promotion and/or progression
- Be mindful in recruitment by carefully considering where we place new hires on the scale
- Track progress against our KPIs