Queen Mary’s gender equality work retains prestigious accolade

Queen Mary now joins a select group of UK universities, including Imperial College and UCL, who have renewed this distinguished accreditation at silver level. 

This is the University’s second Silver Athena Swan Award, having first achieved a Silver Award in 2017, and Bronze Awards since 2008. Queen Mary has taken several key steps to embed equality and diversity practices at the heart of the University while addressing challenges to gender equality. These include:

• Closing its gender attainment gap between undergraduate students
• Reducing its gender pay gap, and closing the median bonus pay gap in 2020
• Reducing the overrepresentation of women on Fixed Term Contracts
• Increasing the proportion of women at Lecturer level through to Reader

• Increasing the diversity of leaders at Board level, with more women than ever before

• Promoting a record number of Black and Ethnic Minority women

Professor Colin Bailey, President and Principal at Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is fantastic news that Queen Mary’s commitment to gender equality has been recognised with the renewal of our Athena Swan Silver Award.

“As we look to become the most inclusive university of its kind, anywhere, by 2030, we want to ensure there is a culture of equal representation and opportunity in every corner of the University.

“I am proud of our history rooted in diversity and inclusivity and look forward to this work continuing over the coming years.”

Sheila Gupta, Vice Principal People, Culture & Inclusion and Chair of the Gender Equality Action Group at Queen Mary said: “Retaining our Silver Athena Swan status is a proud moment for the University, and a direct result of the ambitious work we have taken across Queen Mary to break down barriers and create an environment where all our staff can flourish.

“We have made excellent progress across Schools, Institutes and Departments – with more women being promoted, massively reducing our gender bonus pay gap, and significantly lowering the number of women on Fixed Term Contracts to name but a few improvements.

“This would not be possible without our staff’s hard work and deep commitment. I would like to thank everyone at the University who has worked tirelessly to advance gender equality. Our new Gender Impact Plan will maintain this impact and momentum up to 2027, as part of our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.”

The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment. The Charter was since expanded and is now being used to address intersectional gender equality for all those working in higher education.