The University has recently signed up for the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) in the higher education and research sectors.  We are currently working towards gaining a bronze awards which will formalise our support for gender equality in the higher education.

The Charter supports the representation of women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated area and membership commits the University to sustaining an equitable working environment for women.

Women in science The career path for women in the sector has been described as a ‘leaky pipeline’ with an increasing gender imbalance occurring as women climb the academic career ladder. Currently, only 25.6 percent of people working in SET in the UK are women, compared with almost equal ratios in other subject areas, and at Head of Department/Professorial level women only make up 7.9 percent of the workforce. The Athena SWAN Charter is committed to providing advice and support for women in the workplace, alongside ensuring that any promotion procedures are transparent and equal.

The Charter will encourage University practice, setting goals to help improve how part-time staff and those on maternity-leave are included in the ongoing life on-campus. It also looks at gender roles and responsibilities within the organisation, including factors such as the visibility of women the workforce, workload allocation and valuation with a view to increasing the number of women in SET subjects in general, and at senior level in particular.

Professor Neal Juster, Vice Principal for Strategy and Resources, who chairs the Athena SWAN working group at the University said: “I am delighted to see the University join the Athena SWAN Charter. The University is committed to promoting equality in all its activities and to enabling all our staff to fulfil their potential.  The University looks forward to the challenges and benefits of Charter membership and is committed to working towards women being fairly represented at all levels across the University.”

First published: 29 September 2011

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