Gender equality: University of Aberdeen retains its Athena SWAN Bronze Award

The University of Aberdeen has retained its Athena SWAN Bronze Award for its commitment to gender equality.

ABERDEEN, 12-May-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — The Athena SWAN charter aims to address the lower proportion of women than men found in academic, professional, and support roles, and recognise departments and institutions taking action to identify and overcome barriers to career progression for both sexes.

The University has made significant improvement in the working conditions of its staff, and since the original Athena SWAN application in 2012 it has enhanced these conditions by launching various initiatives, including making equality and diversity training mandatory for all staff; introducing a Senior Women’s Network and Parents / carers network; and striving to ensure committees that staff recruitment committees have a balanced gender representation.

In addition to this, five sections within the University have also been awarded Athena SWAN Bronze Awards, in recognition of their work to promote gender equality.

The Business School, the School of Divinity History and Philosophy, the Institute of Applied Health Sciences, the Law School and the Rowett Institute have all been successful in obtaining the bronze award.

In 2016 the School of Psychology became the first department from the University to receive an Athena SWAN Bronze Award followed by the School of Natural and Computing Sciences. These latest awards are testament to the ongoing drive across the University to address issues of gender equality.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond said: “I am delighted that the University of Aberdeen has once again been recognised for its commitment to gender equality with the renewal of our Athena SWAN bronze award. In addition to our institutional award, I was also proud to learn that five academic units of the University have received individual bronze awards.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to colleagues in the central Athena SWAN team, as well as colleagues in the Business School; School of Divinity History and Philosophy; Institute of Applied Health Sciences; Law School and Rowett Institute who have contributed to these successes.”

SOURCE: University of Aberdeen

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