Abstract
The chapter provides an overview of the Athena Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) Charter, how it has been adopted across a selection of different institutions in the UK, the impact it has had so far, with a reflection on what it means in practice for an institution aiming to address gender equality. It draws on an analysis of Gold Award Departments and a case study university to explore what is required to engage with the Charter and what is considered good practice. The chapter offers an insight into a very influential scheme to address gender equality in higher education institutions in the UK that has relevance to policy makers with an interest in promoting commitment to gender equality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
In addition to the Athena SWAN Charter, ECU run a Gender Equality Charter and a Race Equality Charter.
- 2.
‘Department’ is the term that Athena SWAN uses to refer to departments, schools and faculties – in the UK many university disciplinary divisions are organised as ‘schools’ rather than departments.
- 3.
Research carried out by the author found that the institutional position of the person chairing the University SAT or taking on the role of Athena SWAN Champion, varied between institutions. Examples of those leading on this include: Pro Vice-Chancellor; Women in STEM project manager; School Dean; Provost’s Envoy for Gender Equality; Head of Organisation Development; Director of Strategic Initiatives; and academics at a Professor level.
- 4.
This development was driven by INTEGER and supported by FESTA, GENOVATE (all projects funded by the European Commission) and ultimately by all HEIs.
- 5.
This term broadly refers to PhD students, post-doctoral research staff and those within six years of their first academic appointment.
- 6.
In 2016, the University of Essex allocated one-off pay increases to women professors in an attempt to effectively close the professorial gender pay gap in that institution.
- 7.
The small numbers associated with percentage increases and decreases at department level should be taken into account in considering these trends.
- 8.
Exceptions are mathematics and medicine.
References
Ashdown, J. (2008). Letter: The Athena SWAN Charter and good employment practice. Opticon 1826, 4, 1–2.
Barnard, S., Arnold, J., Bosley, S., & Munir, F. (2016). Onwards and upwards? Tracking women’s work experiences in higher education: Year 1 report. Available at www.lfhe.ac.uk.
Beer, J. (2015). Diversity in leadership. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 19(2), 40–42. doi: 10.1080/13603108.2015.1021402.
Burkinshaw, P. (2015). Higher education, leadership and women vice chancellors: Fitting into communities of practice of masculinities. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Caffrey, L., Wyatt, D., Fudge, N., Mattingley, H., Williamson, C., & McKevitt, C. (2016). Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: A realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes. BMJ Open, 6(9), 1–10. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012090.
Cook, A., & Glass, C. (2015). Diversity begets diversity? The effects of board composition on the appointment and success of women CEOs. Social Science Research, 53, 137–147. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.05.009.
Dias, M. C., Joyce, R., Dias, M. C., & Payne, J. (2016). The gender wage gap: IFS briefing note BN18 6. UK. Retrieved from https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/bns/bn186.pdf.
ECU. (2015). Equality challenge unit: Athena SWAN Charter. Available at http://www.ecu.ac.uk/equality-charters/athena-swan/. Accessed 9 October 2015.
Garforth, L., & Kerr, A. (2009). Women and science: What’s the problem?. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, jxp015.
Gregory-Smith, I. (2015, March). The impact of Athena SWAN in UK medical schools. Sheffield economic research paper series. University of Sheffield. ISSN 1749–8368.
HEA. (2016). HEA national review of gender equality in Irish higher education institutions: Report of the expert group. Dublin: Higher Education Authority.
Henley, M. M. (2015). Women’s success in academic science: Challenges to breaking through the Ivory Ceiling. Sociology Compass, 8, 668–680.
Johnson, K. A., Warr, D. J., Hegarty, K., & Guillemin, M. (2015). Small wins: An initiative to promote gender equity in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 37(6), 689–701. http://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2015.1102820.
Klein, U. (2015). Gender equality and diversity politics in higher education: Conflicts, challenges and requirements for collaboration. Women’s studies international forum. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2015.06.017.
Kulik, C. T. (2014). Working below and above the line: The research-practice gap in diversity management. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(2), 129–144. http://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12038.
Monroe, K., Ozyurt, S., Wrigley, T., & Alexander, A. (2008). Gender equality in academia: Bad news from the trenches, and some possible solutions. Perspectives on Politics, 6(2), 215–233. http://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592708080572.
Munir, F., Mason, C., McDermott, H., Morris, J., Bagilhole, B., & Nevill, M. (2013). Advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine: Evaluating the effectiveness and impact of the Athena SWAN Charter. London: Equality Challenge Unit.
Phipps, A. (2008). Women in science, engineering, and technology: UK initiatives from the 1970s to the 2000s. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books.
Rubery, J. (2003). Gender mainstreaming and the open method of coordination: Is the open method too open for gender equality policy? ESRC seminar, gender mainstreaming: Theoretical issues and new developments, Leeds University.
Ruebain, D. (2012). Aren’t we there yet? Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 16(1), 3–6. doi: 10.1080/13603108.2011.611834.
Ruebain, D. (2015). Celebrating ten years of the Athena SWAN Charter. London: Equality Challenge Unit.
SHE Figures. (2015). Gender in research and innovation. Statistics and indicators. Research and innovation. Brussels: European Commission.
Stratigaki, M. (2005). Gender mainstreaming vs positive action: An ongoing conflict in EU gender equality policy. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 12(2), 165–186. http://doi.org/10.1177/1350506805051236.
Teelken, C., & Deem, R. (2013). All are equal, but some are more equal than others: Managerialism and gender equality in higher education in comparative perspective. Comparative Education, 49(4), 520–535. http://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2013.807642.
Van Den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2012). Slaying the seven-headed dragon: The quest for gender change in academia. Gender, Work and Organization, 19(1), 71–92. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00566.x.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the interviewees at the Case Study University and members of the Equality Challenge Unit for providing information on Athena SWAN awards.The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007–2013 under grant agreement no 321491.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Barnard, S. (2017). The Athena SWAN Charter: Promoting Commitment to Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions in the UK. In: White, K., O'Connor, P. (eds) Gendered Success in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56659-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56659-1_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-56658-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-56659-1
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)