Northumbria researcher raising gender equality and fairness in the accounting profession

A Northumbria University academic has been awarded a prestigious Major Research Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust to investigate fairness and gender inequality in the accounting profession.

The work by Professor Kathryn Haynes, from Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School, will build on her existing research in the field of gender and accounting. It is one of a number of high-profile studies to have received a share of funding worth £4.5 million through the Leverhulme Trust’s Major Research Fellowships - awarded to “distinguished researchers in the humanities and social sciences”. The Leverhulme Trust prides itself on supporting only the most talented researchers carrying out projects of the highest originality.

Professor Haynes’ research, entitled: Contemporary Feminisms and their Emancipatory Implications for Accounting, will explore systematic inequalities, both in the accounting profession and in accounting practice itself. It will aim to advance feminist theories of accounting and how these can help create greater fairness in society.

Commenting on her work Professor Haynes said: “To receive a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship is a huge honour. By extending my existing research and expanding its depth and significance, I hope to generate findings that will be both definitive and impactful in the accounting field and of interest to other disciplines. What we choose to measure or not to measure, such as a person’s labour and other ways they contribute to society, can leave many feeling undervalued - and often underpaid. It is a global issue for the accounting profession and resonates particularly with feminist theories. I am keen to help address these issues in any way I can through my research.”

Professor Robert MacIntosh, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business and Law at Northumbria added: “To win any Leverhulme Trust award is a clear mark of excellence. This is the first time that Northumbria University has secured a Major Research Fellowship award and I congratulate Kathryn on what is an exceptional achievement for her and for the university. It is a clear reflection of the quality and impact of our research and the lasting difference research makes.”