The School of Health Sciences is committed to gender equality and is working towards accreditation by Athena SWAN. The Athena SWAN charter aims to support and encourage universities to work towards gender equality within the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines.
What is Athena SWAN?
- The Athena SWAN Charter was developed in conjunction with the Equality Challenge Unit to advance the representation of women in STEMM disciplines in higher education and research
- The Charter was launched in June 2005
- It recognises and celebrates good employment practice in the recruitment, retention and promotion of women in STEMM
- Submission are made in November and April, and awards are given for 3 years.
What is the School doing?
Representatives from all the divisions in the School are working on putting together an application for Athena SWAN Bronze award, due to be submitted in November 2017.
Do contact us if you have any questions or comments about the Athena SWAN process, or if you have any thoughts as to how to increase the number of women in senior roles within the School. You can submit any comments to us anonymously by completing our online form.
Working with the Charter is helping City to identify and follow best practice. The main areas in which good practice can make a difference are:
- Appointment and selection
- Promotions
- Career Development
- Career Development for Early Career Researchers
- Workplace Flexibility
- Career Breaks
- Organisation and culture.
Charter Principles
The Athena SWAN Charter is based on ten key principles:
- Acknowledgement that academia cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of all
- Commitment to advancing gender equality in academia
- Commitment to addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional and support functions
- Commitment to tackling the gender pay gap
- Commitment to removing the obstacles faced by women at major points of career development and progression
- Commit to addressing the negative consequences of using short-term contracts for the retention and progression of staff in academia
- Commitment to tackling the discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people
- Acknowledgement that advancing gender equality demands commitment and action from all levels of the organisation and in particular active leadership from those in senior roles
- Commitment to making sustainable structural and cultural changes to advance gender equality
- Commitment to considering the intersection of gender and other factors wherever possible.
Our Athena SWAN Team
- Susan Ayers, Midwifery
- Sally Barlow, Nursing
- Sophie Battams, Athena SWAN Administrator.
- Rosa Benato, HSRM
- Gabriella Caminotto, PG Student
- Kirsty Harrison, LCS
- Debra Salmon, Senior Management
- Dominic Smith
- Ahalya Subramanian, Optometry
- Matt Such, Student Services
- Richard Thorne, Radiography.