Department of Psychological Sciences achieves Athena SWAN Bronze Award
The Athena SWAN Awards are bestowed by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) to recognise and reward commitment to gender equality in higher education.
Birkbeck's Department of Psychological Sciences is proud to be awarded an Athena SWAN Bronze Award by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU). The award recognises the department’s commitment to achieving gender equality across the institution and the progress that it is making in this area.
ECU’s 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 in higher education and research.
In 2015, the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law, and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
Professor Matthew Longo headed the Athena SWAN application process for the department.
He said: “We’re delighted that the department has been recognised for its commitment to gender equality with an Athena SWAN Bronze award. Since starting our work on the Athena SWAN initiative we have seen improvements in several areas, which have made the department a better place to work and to study. We have reduced the gender gap at the most senior faculty levels, had several fathers take extended periods of paid parental leave, and initiated the highly successful Annette Karmiloff-Smith Women in Psychological Sciences lecture series. This award is a reflection of the success of our ongoing efforts to promote gender equality, and a spur to do even better going forward.”