Athena SWAN > Membership > Why join Athena SWAN?
Why join Athena SWAN?
Benefits of joining the Charter
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Joining the Charter can act as a catalyst for change in an organisation and SET faculties/departments.
- SWAN will assist universities’ work towards creating equitable working cultures
in which all staff can achieve their maximum potential.
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Membership can help the university to fulfill its statutory equal opportunities responsibilities.
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Membership may provide a positive incentive for staff to look for jobs in the university/their departments. Where departments have low numbers of women applicants for SET academic appointments, a silver SWAN may be a useful additional ‘pull’ factor.
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Inclusive working practices increase the retention of valued staff, especially women.
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Through award applications each member university will receive individual, expert feedback.
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The process of applying for awards can help to clarify key issues, and identify individual initiatives that already existed but were unknown outside their own departments
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Commitment to equality issues in SET goes hand in hand with good and sustainable science. Evidence suggests that highly rated RAE departments tend also to be proponents of good practice.
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Membership provides a network of contacts and a range of useful information and resources.
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Membership can enhance the university’s external status through the recognition that derives from participation in a national scheme and through the public relations and marketing opportunities provided by gaining a recognition award.
Why some of our members joined
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
"We are delighted to have joined Athena SWAN. The London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine is one of Europe’s leading Schools of Public Health and a leading
postgraduate institution worldwide for research and postgraduate education in
global health. The School embraces and values the diversity of its staff and
student population and seeks to promote equality as an essential element in enhancing
the School’s contribution to the improvement of health worldwide."
University of Birmingham
"The University of Birmingham is delighted to become a member of the Athena SWAN
Charter and to commit publicly to addressing issues that can inhibit the career
progression of women in SET. As Birmingham’s global strategic framework moves
forward, we see this as a timely opportunity to review and evaluate our practices
against the best in the sector and implement real change."
Roehampton University
"Roehampton University is delighted to have been accepted as a member of the
Athena Swan charter. The University has a strong commitment to equality, diversity
and social justice, values which underpin all of its activities and are evident
across its portfolio of taught programmes as well as in much of the research it
elects to pursue. Engaging with the framework provided by the Charter will help
the University to take a structured approach to ensuring that it is adopting best
employment practices for women working in scientific disciplines."
University of East London
"The University of East London fully supports the Athena Swan Charter and is
proud to acknowledge publicly its commitment to the advancement and promotion
of the careers of women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) within higher education and research. We are actively engaged in developing
the female talent of both our students and academic staff within the fields of
STEM for the benefit of the wider community. We especially welcome female students
onto our courses in the STEM fields as they will become the scientists, technologists,
engineers, and mathematicians of the future. Through our programmes at UEL, they
will be well placed to become the female entrepreneurs of the 21st century. We
embrace the principles of the charter and its framework and look forward to working
within the framework to achieve recognition of our initiatives to develop and
promote more women in STEM."
Aston University
"We are delighted to have joined Athena SWAN. As a small research-led institution
we recognise that women have not always gained the recognition or positions where
their talent can be fully utilised for the benefit of the University and the wider
community. We feel that the framework and incentives that Athena SWAN offers,
along with the experience of the membership, will provide the necessary support
for us to make a difference to the experience and roles of women at Aston University.”
University of Warwick
“Membership of Athena SWAN provides a strategic and structured focus to the development
of women in Science, Engineering and Technology. The projects highlighted by other
Athena SWAN members illustrate the progress that can be made, often through minor
changes or different ways of thinking but can make a significant difference to
individuals and ultimately the University. We look forward to the challenges of
preparing for the awards both in terms of the opportunity to evaluate current
practice, consult with stakeholders across the institution, prioritise actions
and ultimately see real change as a result.”
University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
“The University of Wolverhampton has long been committed to an ethos of equality
and fairness. The University’s original “Gender Equality Scheme” underlined our
commitment to working with Schools and Departments to ensure that gender issues
were identified and progressed. During the academic year 2009 – 2010 the University
commissioned a report entitled “Women in Research at the University of Wolverhampton:
An Institutional Case Study”. This report made a number of recommendations.
By joining Athena Swan the University hopes to benefit from being a member of
a wide network and learn from and contribute to the exchange of good practice.”
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