The Department of Physics has been given the Athena Swan Gold award having held Athena Swan Silver since 2015. The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, Athena Swan is used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
By being awarded Athena Swan Gold, the Department of Physics has demonstrated its steadfast commitment to a broad range of inclusive behaviour and culture including adopting robust, transparent and accountable processes for gender equality work; addressing structural inequalities and social injustices; and tackling behaviours and cultures that detract from the safety and collegiality of the department’s work and study environments.
In particular, the submission highlighted the department’s progress in increasing the proportion of female DPhil candidates. In 2014/15, 15% of DPhil admissions were women while for the year 2023/24, this had increased to 39% maintaining an average of 30.5% over the last five years thanks to an improved admissions process. 100% of students graduate within 4 years and, in terms of the percentage of the students that graduate, there is no significant difference in terms of male and female students.
Elsewhere in the department, a new recruiting process has increased female representation in terms of academic hires; of the 19 academic posts recruited to since 2019, 10 are female – a 30% increase over the previous five years’ figures.
Professor Sonia Contera is Associate Head for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of Physics and wrote the submission: ‘I am absolutely delighted that we have been awarded Athena Swan Gold. Many people were involved in collating evidence of our commitment to the Athena Swan principles and I would like to thank them very much for their incredible work. Ultimately, the award is for everybody in our department; it is testament to all those day-to-day actions and initiatives that individuals take to better our working environment for everybody.
‘I would also like to recognise the late Professor Ian Shipsey’s pivotal role in this achievement; his indefatigable drive ensured that creating a positive and nurturing working environment remained a key priority for everybody in the department.’
Head of Department, Professor Andrew Boothroyd adds: ‘Sustainable, embedded, real change takes time, and being awarded Athena Swan Gold is the culmination of a targeted and sustained effort over many years. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and we will continue to improve and break down barriers – gender or otherwise – so that we can do the best science possible to benefit the wider society.’
‘Achieving Athena Swan Gold is a major achievement,’ said Professor Jim Naismith, Head of the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences Division (MPLS). ‘Initiatives like Athena Swan, combined with the dedicated efforts they inspire, are driving meaningful change in how to do things. We have to ensure that science and physics is for everyone. I am absolutely delighted that Physics is the first department in MPLS to achieve this milestone, setting a powerful example for others will follow.’