University secures three additional Athena SWAN awards
University celebrates awards recognising its work towards gender equality
The University of Bradford has achieved three additional Athena SWAN awards in recognition of its ongoing commitment to gender equality.
The School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Health Studies and School of Optometry and Vision Science were successful in achieving Bronze Award status, which they will keep for five years.
The University of Bradford became a member of the Charter in 2013 and achieved an institutional Bronze Award in November 2015. These three awards follow on from the Bronze Award earned by the School of Chemistry and Biosciences in November 2017.
Commenting on the achievements, Udy Archibong, Professor of Diversity and the University's Strategic Advisor on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said: “We are thrilled that our efforts to create inclusive working and learning environments have been recognised through additional awards at faculty/school level. This reflects the confidence that the Athena SWAN programme places in the University. I would like to congratulate Athena SWAN Leads and Self Assessment Teams for this significant success.”
She added the university is currently finalising its application for a new institutional and more departmental applications in November 2020.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof Shirley Congdon said: "I am proud that the University of Bradford has been awarded three additional Athena SWAN Awards demonstrating our commitment to the advancement of gender equality. We value the individual differences people bring to our organisation and society at large. Being committed to equality, diversity and inclusion will help us realise our strategic ambition to support social mobility.”
Alastair Goldman, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, said: “Working towards Athena SWAN recognition is an important part of our overall strategy towards making the University of Bradford an excellent, safe and truly comfortable place for anyone to work and study regardless of their personal characteristics. I want to thank everyone for all their hard work in understanding in terms of where we are and what we need to do to get better in recognising the needs of women in the workplace.”
Dean of Faculty of Health Studies, Dr Pam Bagley, said: “I am delighted the hard work and commitment of our Self-Assessment Team has been rewarded. They gathered and analysed data and listened to views and experiences from across the faculty to inform an evidence-based action plan that will guide our progress on gender equality issues over the coming years.”
The latest accolades build on the work the university is doing on accelerating a culture of equality, making its diversity count, and enabling a climate for inclusion. In September 2019, The Times and Sunday Times named the University of Bradford as the UK’s University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2020.
The Athena SWAN Charter was founded in 2005 to advance the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics. It was extended in 2015 to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law as well as professional and support roles and for trans staff and students. The Charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly (including intersectionality).