Gender Equality Partnerships

Launched in 2021, the Gender Equality Partnerships initiative has grown from just five partnerships between the UK and three other countries to a thriving global network of 70 collaborative projects, spanning 120 institutions and 12 countries. 

Gender Equality Partnerships is one of our responses to a report that the British Council recently commissioned, entitled ‘Gender Equality in Higher Education: Maximising Impacts’. This report identified some key global gender equality challenges as well as some examples of how governments, higher education institutions, sector bodies and funders are successfully addressing these issues.

Globally, the Gender Equality Partnerships aims to build partnerships and systemic change in the priority themes detailed below:

Prevention of violence against women and girls with a particular focus on higher and further education institutions as safe spaces for women.
Addressing women’s underrepresentation in higher and further education leadership.
Enabling access and tackling subject segregation, particularly in the area of STEM.
Strengthening pathways into employment for women graduates from further and higher education.

Awards support partnerships between UK higher education institutions and partner institutions from Ukraine and other countries.

In Ukraine, the focus of Gender Equality Partnerships is on addressing women’s under-representation in higher education leadership.

Projects to be implemented in 2025 / Projects implemented in 2024

2025: Bangor University – Khmelnytskyi National University

Project title: 3R SheLeader: Resilience, Resourcefulness, and Resultfulness

The aim of the project is to explore and exchange practices on gender equality, raise awareness, build networks for women's leadership, involve men as allies in promoting gender equality, empower women with leadership skills through the “3R” model, and develop and strengthen gender equality policies.

As part of the project, a special mentorship programme for women at Khmelnytskyi National University is being implemented, led by the UK partner – Bangor University. The mentorship provides professional support, guidance, and the development of women's leadership potential in higher education through personalized collaboration with experienced experts from the United Kingdom. The programme includes individual mentoring, experience exchange, career development, and support in implementing changes within the educational environment.

The project aims to enhance women's leadership in higher education by overcoming barriers, developing key leadership skills, strengthening international cooperation, and creating sustainable change to promote gender equality.

The expected results include enhanced awareness among women in higher education about their potential, the creation of a network of women leaders, active engagement of men in gender equality initiatives, implementation of the “3Rs Leadership Training” program, and the development of gender-responsive policies.

Project webpage

2025: Coventry University – Alfred Nobel University & Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture

Project title: SPRINGBOARD: Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Leadership in HE: Ukraine and UK

The project aims to undertake a barrier analysis to better understand the obstacles preventing women's representation in HE leadership in Ukraine and the UK, and to develop ways to address these barriers.

The project includes gender barrier research and developing an online course for women in academia aimed at overcoming actionable obstacles and developing leadership skills. It also involves creating recommendations for higher education institutions, government agencies, and other key stakeholders to increase women's participation in HE leadership.

2025: University of Birmingham – Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

Project title: Women in Leadership: Higher Education Institutions in Ukraine Before, During, and After War

The project aims to explore the challenges, opportunities, and transformations in the sphere of women’s leadership in Ukrainian higher education institutions before, during, and after the full-scale war. As part of the project, a series of surveys, interviews, analytical discussions, seminars, and workshops will be conducted, focusing on inclusive leadership, overcoming gender stereotypes, building support networks for women in education, and adapting best practices to the Ukrainian academic context. Special attention will be given to discussing strategies for supporting female leaders in higher education, creating a safe and inclusive academic environment, and developing strategic recommendations for Ukrainian universities.

The culmination of the project will be an international conference, where the research findings will be presented, best practices shared, and recommendations for advancing women’s leadership in higher education in Ukraine discussed. Additionally, the project will include a series of joint educational and discussion sessions involving Ukrainian and British experts in inclusive leadership, transformational management, and gender equality in academia.

2025: University of Reading – National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Project title: Developing Women’s Leaderships Skills and Networks for Equity in Higher Education Leadership in Ukraine

The goal of this project is to provide training and resource-building in women’s leadership in higher education in Ukraine through interactive courses, leadership summer and winter schools, networking, mentorship and a national online resource platform.

The mail project objectives are to engage with Ukrainian Higher Education stakeholders to explore experiences and policy directions for improving gender equity and to engage with stakeholders in the Ukrainian Higher Education sector to articulate narratives of women’s leadership. The project team will design and create online learning through workshops, leadership training, mentoring, networking, and support for leadership trainers; create an online platform to provide women across Ukraine with access to high quality leadership development resources. Generate open-access academic publications about women’s leadership in higher education with project participants to share leadership narratives between the two countries.

2025: University of Wolverhampton – Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University

Project title: Development of a Policy and Framework for Greater Gender Equality in Ukrainian Higher Education Leadership

This collaborative project addresses the critical underrepresentation of women in higher education leadership positions in Ukraine. Through a comprehensive five-phase approach, the project conducts contextual analysis, literature reviews, and empirical research to understand barriers facing women in academic leadership.

Key activities include parallel panel sessions in both countries, webinar series featuring women leaders discussing their journeys, and an innovative reverse mentoring programme pairing senior leaders with women from lower hierarchical positions. The project emphasizes participatory research conducted primarily by female academics and early career researchers from both institutions.

Expected outcomes include the development of a tailored gender equality policy for the Ukrainian partner institution, a national implementation framework for Ukrainian higher education. The project also produces co-written stories of women's experiences, and disseminates findings through a hybrid conference and peer-reviewed publications.

Operating under the UNESCO Chair on Innovative Informal Digital Learning, this 12-month initiative aims to create sustainable change by moving both institutions toward being gender transformative, ultimately increasing women's representation in higher education leadership roles while contributing to broader conversations on gender equality in academia.

2025: University of Worcester – Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University

Project title: Empowering Female Leaders in Higher Education through International Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

The project aims to support women in higher education through a mentoring programme focused on experience sharing, building professional connections for international research partnerships, and developing essential leadership skills for career advancement.

It combines research into gender barriers, stereotypes, and the specific needs of women in higher education institutions with the implementation of international peer mentoring that includes professional meetings and training sessions. These activities are designed to strengthen participants’ leadership competencies, boost their confidence, and support their professional growth, while also fostering an institutional culture that promotes gender equality in leadership. The project outcomes will be disseminated through a series of outreach events, publications, and a final conference that will serve as a platform for sharing best practices and establishing sustainable international partnerships.

2024: Kingston University – Lviv Polytechnic National University

Project title: ONLY: Open a New Leader in Yourself

ONLY: Open a New Leader in Yourself is an educational and leadership program for women representatives of Ukrainian higher education institutions. During the year, participants engaged in strategic and mentoring sessions, a mini-MBA with international experts, mentoring sessions led by Ukrainian and British experts, and networking events.

In the final stage, participants presented projects aimed at the development and transformation of Ukrainian higher education institutions, focusing on leadership, support, and innovation, which they are implementing in their own universities. Three participants were awarded a free internship at Kingston University in London.

Project video

2024: University of Bedfordshire – Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics

Project title: A Career Roadmap for Women’s Leadership in Higher Education in Ukraine

The project's goal is to identify the barriers and challenges faced by women leaders in higher education institutions in Ukraine and the United Kingdom. It also aims to build the capacity of Ukrainian universities and expand opportunities for women researchers and leaders in higher education by developing a gender-sensitive career roadmap, “Women Leaders in Higher Education,” tailored to the cultural, socio-political context of Ukraine, and the subject areas of research.

The project includes a needs and challenges analysis, a series of focus groups utilizing the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitation methodology in a gamified format, and the creation of a career roadmap for women leaders in higher education in Ukraine.

2024: University of Cambridge – Kharkiv National Medical University

Project title: EmpowerHER: Advancing Women’s Leadership in Medical Higher Education

The project aims to identify the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions (particularly in senior roles) in medical higher education and to provide women from medical schools with the knowledge, support, and skill development necessary for confident leadership.

The project includes organizing a series of research studies, conducting awareness events, implementing an international mentoring program, preparing thematic media publications, running a photo campaign, and conducting a research visit for representatives of Kharkiv National Medical University to the University of Cambridge.

2024: University of Hull – Mariupol State University

Project title: Fostering Women’s Leadership in Ukrainian Academia

An Intersectional and Culturally Responsive Perspective The project aims to foster women’s leadership, raise awareness about diversity, equity, inclusion, and intersectionality, and foster the creation of a culturally responsive and inclusive environment within Ukraine's higher education system.

It focuses on sharing successful institutional practices and supporting initiatives that advance gender equality and leadership development in Ukrainian higher education. Additionally, the project involves the development and implementation of a professional development course for educators titled “Inclusive Leadership in Higher Education through Cultural Immersion.”

Project webpage

2024: Leicester University – Kremenchuk Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi National University

Project title: FEMPLOYEE: Advancing Gender Equality and Women's Leadership in STEM Education - A Transversal Approach to Empowerment and Inclusion

The project aims to develop the FEMPLOYEE app, which will provide early-career women researchers (ECRs) with access to mentorship from experienced researchers in their field. The app will serve as a convenient platform for establishing professional connections, sharing experiences, and acquiring essential career skills.

Additionally, it will be used to collect data to identify key challenges faced by women in science. This information can be utilized to improve institutional policies on gender equality and support women in their pursuit of leadership positions.

2024: Reading University – National University of Life and Environmental Sciences

Project title: Supporting Women's Leadership in Education

The project’s goal is to generate knowledge, build capacity, and develop policies that create more opportunities for women in higher education leadership in Ukraine.

The project aims to demonstrate the benefits of strengthening gender equality in higher education institutions, provide a detailed understanding of gender challenges and opportunities, and equip women leaders with leadership, management, and collaboration skills. Additionally, the project includes the development of a gender equality plan for NULES (National University of Life and Environmental Sciences) to promote gender equality within the institution, as well as the exchange of experiences and research methodologies on leadership in higher education.

Download the report

Discover more about how the initiative is supporting positive change globally in our new report: Gender Equality Partnerships: the journey so far. This report covers the global reach, impact and lessons learned of Gender Equality Partnerships, and includes case studies of impactful projects around the world.