911±¬ÁÏÍø

We are delighted to have been awarded our first Athena Swan Bronze Award. 

The Award recognises and demonstrates our continued work to advancing gender equality in SSEES, and comes from the work of our Athen Swan Committee, comprised of staff and students, who have undertaken analytical work throughout the submission process to allow us to work towards cultural improvements over the coming years. Our aim is to have a real, positive impact on the lives of our staff and students.

What is Athena Swan?

The Athena Swan charter is a gender equality framework used across the higher education sector. Participating institutions and departments use the charter to improve gender representation, progression and the working environment for all staff. The, which is a member-led charity of and for the sector that works with partners across the globe to improve higher education for staff, students and society. 

The SSEES Athena SWAN Committee meets reguarly to ensure that our departmental culture, processes and career support mechanisms take into account the particular needs of staff and students, both male and female, with childcare or other caring responsibilities. 

Key Priorities have been highlighted in our action plan: 

1. Increase sense of support, belonging and inclusion for all staff and students, particularly in regard to gender, ethnicity, and caring responsibilities.
2. Continue to work to decolonise and diversify our curriculum and our teaching.
3. Improve our processes for supporting all staff to undertake development opportunities and obtain reward/promotion where they are eligible. 
4. Better publicise and promote our policies and our opportunities to current and prospective staff and students of all genders and ethnicities.
5.Improve our data collection and governance to enable us to make better data-driven decisions in future that support diversity and inclusion, particularly in regard to gender and ethnicity.
6.Improve mental health support (incl. by stamping out bullying and harassment).

Dr Olga Voronina, SSEES Inclusion Lead comments: 'I want to say thank you to the fantastic Self-Asessment Team team that worked so very hard for a year to envision how SSEES can meaningfully engage with Athena Swan and to promote good practice that is already in place.'

Dr Alessandro Iandolo, current EDI lead for SSEES adds: "The Athena Swan Bronze Award recognizes the efforts SSEES has made to advance gender equality and build a supportive community. We see this award as a first step in addressing discrimination and disparities in the workplace."

For any queries, please contact the EDI Committee chair, ¶Ù°ùÌýAlessandro Iandolo.

• EDI at 911±¬ÁÏÍø SSEES