Athena Swan

[drwitch]

draft guidance from Advance HE

The relevant tables start on page 3. Note the focus on trans and non binary. Even gender does not get a specific mention

Anyone care else care to share a rant on this?

Was asked recently to be on my department's AS committee. Attended first meeting during lockdown while I was literally going mad from the pressure of homeschooling plus all of my workload. At least half the committee were men. We all got lectured about intersectionality. I was the only person there with children. Was asked by convenor to speak about pressures on parents during lockdown (as the only mum there), and as I answered half the committee got up to go and make a cup of tea (presumably because it wasn't relevant to them).

What a waste of time. F-ing hell.

we are just starting to do ours. Already the discussions about gender and sex have begun. My angle I think is to go for mechanisms; so think about routes by which different groups can be disadvantaged. That way I can get sex based interventions in without having to fight for sex instead of gender all the time

All focused on general 'inclusivity' at my workplace. I thought it was women in science, but where I work it's morphed into any type of diversity at all in any post. I now avoid rather than use my time to discuss the challenges facing non-binary people in the HR department.

What or who is Athena Swan?

My field (economics) has a real issue with the lack of women (our ug numbers are worse than maths !!). Last time we applied I tried to ignore it but I think if we are not careful we could get structures in place that actually make things worse for women are not better.

@WipeYourFeet, Athena Swan is an higher ed initiative that started in the hard sciences that aims to increase female participation and career progression at all levels. - It was been moderately succesful there and has now been rolled out to the social sciences and I think the humanities. -

It is a huge undertaking to apply and the work is often done by women.

[quote drwitch]@WipeYourFeet, Athena Swan is an higher ed initiative that started in the hard sciences that aims to increase female participation and career progression at all levels. - It was been moderately succesful there and has now been rolled out to the social sciences and I think the humanities. -[/quote]
Thank you!

The Equality Challenge Unit manages Athena Swan which is a charter - basically organisations are rewarded for good practice around "gender" quality.

"Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education institutions across the UK and also in colleges in Scotland.
ECU is a registered charity, funded through the UK higher education funding bodies and representative organisations. We provide a central resource of advice and guidance for the sector."

Interestingly Ruth Hunt worked there before becoming CEO of Stonewall:

"Prior to Stonewall, Hunt worked at the Equality Challenge Unit where she led work advising higher education institutions on sexual orientation and gender identity equality."

Interestingly Ruth Hunt worked there before becoming CEO of Stonewall

Probably why they are TWAW