The Athena Swan Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women working in STEM subjects in higher education, and in May 2015 it was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law. The recently introduced Transformed Athena Swan Charter also recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and aims to nurture positive inclusive cultures that address issues experienced due to sex, but also gender identity, caring responsibilities, and other intersectional inequalities.
The Bronze Award recognises the School of Law’s efforts to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the department, evidenced by the robust process of self-assessment and the development of a five-year action plan to address the commitment to the advancement of gender equality.
SJ Cooper-Knock, who was part of team that led on this submission, stated:
This has been a really generative process for us as a school. The Athena Swan self-assessment process gave us the space for substantive dialogue with staff and students. As a school, we have been able to reflect honestly on where we are and collectively envisage where we want to be in five years’ time. Our Athena Swan Action Plan provides us with an ambitious but attainable map for meaningful change. The comprehensive nature of this change is testament to the fact that we believe that ‘equality work is everyone’s work’. I'm proud of the journey that got us to this point, and I am excited about the road ahead.”
SJ Cooper-Knock
Senior Lecturer in Criminology
As part of the department’s ongoing efforts to promote an equitable, diverse and inclusive campus, the action plan sets out five priorities:
- Building a stronger evidence base for change
- Strengthening inclusive recruitment
- Tackling ‘glass ceilings’ and ‘sticky floors’
- Solidifying an inclusive workplace
- Nurturing a learning institution
Professor Richard Kirkham, Head of School, said:
The Athena Swan application has come at a timely moment in the School’s history. As well as further fostering the School’s approach to solidifying an inclusive environment for both students and staff, the application has encouraged all colleagues in the School to reflect upon, improve and be more transparent about existing practices. Over the next year, the additional oversight provided by the goals in the application, and the new processes and commitments that have been made, will go a long way towards enhancing the School’s already strong culture. I thank the team enormously for successfully piloting this application through to success.”
Professor Richard Kirkham
Head of School
Download our Athena SWAN Bronze Award application (PDF, 7.97)If you have any issues accessing the document or require it in a different format, please get in touch - law@sheffield.ac.uk