School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences achieves prestigious gender equality award

6 October 2025

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research. 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 is now being used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

The successful renewal of our charter signals a continued commitment to its principles, which include but are not limited to: adopting robust, transparent and accountable processes for gender equality work, addressing structural inequalities and social injustices that manifest as differential experiences and outcomes for staff and students, understanding and addressing intersectional inequalities.

Key achievements within our school include eliminating the proportional underrepresentation of women and BAME staff on key management committees, doubling the number of female professors in SBBS from two to four, and achieving comparable promotion application and success rates for men and women. We're now continuing to work towards greater gender equality and beyond, in line with your 5-year Athena Swan Action Plan.

Reflecting on the renewal, EDI co-leads Guifen Chen and Nadine Lavan remarked:

"We're grateful to see that SBBS' efforts to advance gender equality and fostering inclusive academic environments be recognised and we look forward to continuing the important work with the rest of our colleagues in the school."