Gender Equality in the School of Natural Sciences
Welcome to the Gender Equality website of the School of Natural Sciences. Here you can gain an insight into the current work being done within the School to promote equality and inclusion to ensure that the School is the best possible working environment for all. In working towards this goal, the School has engaged fully with the Athena Swan Charter which aims to support and transform gender equality within higher education. In recognition of our efforts, the School was awarded an Athena Swan Bronze medal in 2015 and 2018. We will be applying for a silver medal in 2022.
The figure above shows the percentages of men and women across the School. UG = undergraduate and these data relate to sophister students in the School in 2018, all other data are from 2021. This figure is a snapshot in time and so may change between years but it does highlight the current situation and provides pointers for further investigation into the possible drivers behind the data.
During the summer of 2020 the School’s Athena Swan team surveyed staff and postgraduates. The initial analysis of the survey results has generated an infographic of key findings and the development of some initial policies that have been adopted by the School. A report will be produced following the complete analysis of the survey results and this will also facilitate the development of an action plan that will be incorporated into the Athena Swan Silver medal application. You can access the infographic and policies below.
Details of recent and current activity can be found here