Athena SWAN working groups: creating a positive workplace culture
Published: 1 May 2018
Dr Cindy Gray, IHW's Athena SWAN Champion and colleagues reflect on the activities and achievements of AS working groups, and the benefits of contributing to this important area of work
Since IHW adopted the Athena SWAN Equality and Diversity Charter in 2012, many positive changes have been made to promote a positive, supportive and forward-looking work environment with equality of opportunity for all. Many of these changes have been informed and driven by the efforts of the Athena SWAN working groups. Originally 14 in number, since 2018 the work has been streamlined to 9 groups:
- Early Career Researchers: promoting progression and gender equality for ECRs
- Maternity, paternity and carers: working to achieve a positive and supportive environment for parents and carers
- PGR and DClinPsy: focusing on supporting our postgraduate research students to feel supported and valued by IHW
- PGT: doing the same for our postgraduate taught students
- Mentoring: overseeing the successful IHW-wide mentoring scheme which provides independent support for professional development and work-life balance
- Promotions: working to ensure all staff feel knowledgeable and supported to apply for timely promotion
- Professional and Support staff: supporting a positive workplace culture that provides professional development and career enhancing opportunities to P&S staff members
- Staff consultation: conducting annual in-depth interviews to explore equality and diversity issues across IHW
- 50+: set up in 2018 to address specific issues faced by staff members aged 50 and above
Many working group members really value the opportunity to shape equality and diversity strategies and practices across the Institute, as these testimonies illustrate:
Being an early career female researcher in academia undoubtedly comes with its challenges. Being Eastern European, or of any other minority for that matter, can cause additional difficulties. Since I experience both, I see it as my civic duty to be actively engaged in the work of the Athena SWAN ECR Working Group and lead by example. Chairing the group has been a tremendous privilege and I am very proud of the work we have done to date.
Ewelina Rydzewska
Chair ECR Working Group 
The Wellbeing of older workers and students (WOWS) was set up in 2018. It stemmed from tongue-in-cheek conversations in the kitchen and corridors about the issues of being an older worker. However, it soon became apparent that there was enough interest in setting up a group: the first Athena SWAN Older Workers group in the UK. My main motivation is to make the older worker’s voice heard, to provide support for older workers and to inform IHW-wide older worker policies. Our main activities are identifying issues relevant to older workers and setting up events to cater to older worker’s needs; for example, we plan to arrange an event for retirement planning and pensions later in the year.
Nicola McMeekin
Co-chair, 50+ Working Group 
The PGR/DClinPsy working group works hard to improve the experiences of our postgraduate researchers. We were delighted to see an increase in PGR students’ perception that IHW promotes gender equality, and we want to ensure that our work makes a real difference to students. Our current activities are focused on improving PGR support systems (e.g. reporting discrimination/bullying; evaluating mentoring arrangements) and lone working processes. The group is welcoming and supportive to all, and we are keen to have new ideas and input from IHW students and staff. I enjoy being part of this group because our work has an important impact on the next generation of researchers.
Breda Cullen
Chair, PGR/DClinPsy Working Group
The Professional and Support Staff Working Group was formed in 2015. Initially our efforts focussed on identifying any apparent inequities in conditions experienced by MPA, technical/specialist and operational staff. More recently, we have worked on addressing these through implementing guidelines (e.g. flexitime, working from home, work allocation etiquette) and supporting career development through increased training opportunities and a mentorship scheme. We have also led on the design and organisation of various equality, diversity and inclusion events (transgender awareness, harassment prevention, invisible disabilities and, coming soon, a British Sign Language training course).
From a personal development point of view, involvement in IHW’s AS initiatives has helped me to gain skills and confidence in new areas (chairing a group, report writing, devising guidelines, designing events). In addition, I’ve welcomed the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues across all areas of the institute. And there is a great team spirit in our working group, which has definitely contributed to my enjoyment of the role.
Jane Goodfellow
Chair (2015 to 2018), Professional and Support Working Group
The working groups are currently in the process of finalising their annual reports to inform the 2019-20 strategic direction of the Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team. If you have views about any aspect of Equality and Diversity within IHW and would like to join a working group, or have suggestions for any other issues we should address, please contact IHW Admin at ihwadmin@glasgow.ac.uk.
Dr Cindy Gray
IHW Athena SWAN Champion
First published: 1 May 2018
<< May 2019