The Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science and the Equality Duty

Sarah Dickinson

28 March 2012

Athena SWAN

• What is the Athena SWAN Charter?

• Athena SWAN and Researchers

• How can it help HEIs fulfil the requirements of the Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010?

•Why does Athena SWAN work?

What is the Athena SWAN Charter?

• Recognition scheme of excellence in STEMM in women’s employment in higher education

• 2005 = 10 founder members• 2012 = 76 members• 134 eligible UK HEIs = 56%

What is the Athena SWAN Charter?

• Jointly owned by ECU and UKRC

• (Now) funded by:

• ECU

• UKRC

• HEFCE

• Royal Society

• The Biochemical Society

• SFC

• Annual membership fee of £1000 per institution from April 2012

Principles of the Athena SWAN Charter

1. Commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation

2. Change cultures and attitudes across the organisation

3. Examine the absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels

4. Address the high loss rate of women in science

5. Recognise the consequences of short-term contracts for retention and progression of women

6. Active consideration of personal and structural obstacles to making the transition from PhD to a sustainable academic career

What are Athena SWAN awards?• Key assessment areas:• Knowing the baseline and SET academic profile• Providing positive support for women at key

career transition points• Changing the culture and gender balance in

decision making• Work-life balance practices, their introduction

and uptake• Champions, responsibilities and accountabilities

• Bronze, silver and gold at university and department level.

What are Athena SWAN awards?

• Supporting and advancing women’s careers• Key career transition points

• Appointment and promotion processes

• Career development• Provisions for career development and career

development activities

• Organisation and culture• Management structures and organisational values and

ethos

• Flexibility and managing career breaks• Flexibility and sustainable careers and managing career

breaks

Athena SWAN and Researchers

Data - Conduct exit interviews with contract research staff

Induction and mentoring - Supplement the Staff Handbook with ‘Things I Wish I’d been Told’, drawing on comments from previous new arrivals

Developing Skills – Run development programmes on ‘Preparing your CV for Promotion, ‘Engaging in personal and professional development’.

Athena SWAN and Researchers

Appraisal - Ensure all research staff with contracts longer than one year have a performance and development review

Inclusion – include research staff in consultation exercises & gather information to make informed decisions on tackling their issues

Maternity/paternity leave - Consider extending contracts to enable fixed-term researchers to return from maternity leave and complete the outstanding months on their original contract

Athena SWAN and the Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010

... in the exercise of its functions, (an institution) should have due regard to the need to—

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act;

• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

Athena SWAN and the Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010

•To demonstrate due regard HEIs required to publish data on sex equality in employment.

•This may include data on:• Number of employees by sex• Recruitment • Promotion• Gender pay gap

Why does Athena SWAN work?

• “Athena SWAN speeds up the process of self assessment. You get to the point instead of having to think about thinking about something, you’re already thinking about something, so you’re spotting things ahead of the time you would have done if we’d not had Athena SWAN.”

• “The Athena SWAN approach has been a catalyst for change really, it’s provided a framework, an opportunity, a sense of here are ways we can address these things, share collective knowledge, and get recognition for it.’

Questions?