The Athena Swan Charter is a framework to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research, and we are pleased to share that work has formally begun to prepare our submission for an Athena Swan Charter for gender equality, inline with our university Strategy 2030.
The charter uses different levels of awards to recognise action being taken to advance gender equality in universities and research institutes, faculties and schools and departments (or other academic sub-units), and directorates.
Our charter submission
We are required to apply for a Bronze institutional award in the first instance. In preparing the university submission, we will act on opportunities to facilitate local submissions for the future (in the collection of data, for example).
The university’s charter submission will involve us developing insights through analysis of evidence to devise, enact and evaluate strategies for change that overcome underrepresentation and disadvantage relating to gender at the University of Greenwich. This approach encompasses all:
- aspects of gender equality – from equal pay to preventing gender-based violence
- gender identities
- intersectionality
- faculties and directorates, and
- staff roles – academic, technical, and professional and support.
Athena Swan will also complement and reinforce culture change spurred by the university’s implementation of the Disability Confident scheme, EDI Race Action Plan (launching soon) and Race Equality Charter, Stonewall’s UK Workplace Equality Index Action Plan, Technician Commitment, and University Mental Health Charter.
The charter submission will extend to delivering new interventions alongside harnessing and catalysing existing sector-leading initiatives that contribute to inclusivity and culture at the university, including:
- Eliminating pay gaps pertaining to gender and to ‘BAME’, disabled and LGBT+ staff and intersectionality
- Conducting values-based appraisals, including a common objective to support inclusivity, culture change and wellbeing
- Supporting professional services staff career development
- Preventing gender-based violence building on the Women’s Network’s series of events
- Pioneering allyship and upstanding research, support and development
- Undertaking LGBT+ Culture Research.
Our commitment
You can read the Vice-Chancellor’s letter pledging commitment to the principles of the charter on behalf of the university, Prof Jane Harrington said:
I am delighted that we have formally begun to prepare our submission for an Athena Swan Charter award. This will involve us examining and assessing our staff profile, experience and culture, and how they influence gender equity and inclusion across our university community.
The findings will determine further action we will take to ensure gender equality, building on the initiatives we are already undertaking to foster a culture where all staff are supported and inspired to succeed at Greenwich as a leading, modern and transformative university.
Join our Athena Swan Charter Self-Assessment Team
We invite all staff at different levels and in various functions who are committed to gender equality to express an interest in joining the Athena Swan Charter Self-Assessment Team led by:
- Prof Andrew Westby, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange) and Director of Natural Resources Institute, Faculty of Engineering & Science (Chair)
- Dr Sallyanne Decker, Associate Professor, Greenwich Business School
- Prof Zoë Pettit, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Dr Rebecca Smith, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health & Human Sciences
We particularly welcome expressions of interest from those trained or experienced in sitting on assessment panels for the Athena Swan Charter, Race Equality Charter or other charter marks and accreditations. Please refer to any such experience when making contact.
Membership of the Self-Assessment Team will involve preparing for and attending regular meetings (every other month or so) for up to 18 months initially, assessing evidence, and helping to identify and prioritise measures to advance gender equality at the university.
Membership will include certain roles instrumental to the success of the charter submission and reflect the diversity of the university community. We are committed to ensuring that gender equality work is distributed appropriately, recognised and properly rewarded.
If you are interested in participating in this or any other way, would like to discuss the possibilities further or have any other related queries, please email Jonathan Gascoigne, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, in the first instance by the 11 February 2022.
Alternatively, if you are interested in preparing a faculty, school, department, other academic sub-unit or directorate submission in future or being involved in a Self-Assessment Team for this purpose, please get in touch.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you.
This is your opportunity to help lead development of the charter submission and influence significant and enduring culture change across the university that will be to the benefit of all.
