The Faculty of Medicine has achieved a Silver Athena SWAN award. The award is part of the Athena SWAN Charter for women in science, which recognises commitment to advancing their careers in STEMM academia (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine).
The accolade is awarded by the charity Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) which works to support equality and diversity in higher education institutions across the UK and in colleges in Scotland.
In recent months the Faculty of Medicine has carried out a range of activities aimed at encouraging women into this field. They include:
- A proactive approach to encourage applications for promotion from women
- Enhancement of the Faculty’s established maternity-support policy
- The Dean has appointed a Diversity Champion for the Faculty
- Faculty HR briefings on “Flexible working” to raise awareness of our policies and how to apply them
- University staff based at the hospital can now access the on-site childcare facilities and Parents and Carers Network following Faculty negotiations.
Dean of Medicine, Professor Iain Cameron said:
“I am delighted that the Faculty of Medicine has achieved Athena SWAN Silver Award. This recognises a collective effort over a number of years to demonstrate the Faculty’s commitment to equality and to valuing diversity.
Congratulations to the team that developed the application, ably led by Professor Chris Stephens, and to colleagues across the Faculty who have played a key role in embedding a culture change in relation to equality and diversity.
We can now aim for Gold status by driving continuous improvement to enhance career opportunities for all in medicine and related disciplines.”
Earlier this year new awards made by Athena SWAN to Southampton included Silver for Chemistry, new Bronze awards for Mathematical Sciences & Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute (S3RI) and Physics & Astronomy. In addition, the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences renewed its Bronze award.