Equality, Diversity and Inclusion : Athena SWAN

2018 Gender Action Plan

At Durham we are building an equitable and inclusive community where everyone can thrive. We recognise that change is a long process, and that we are not yet where we could like to be. The Athena SWAN Charter is a strand of this work, which focuses on addressing institutional inequalities relating to gender—including issues of representation, progression, career development, and factors of the working environment.We are working to tackle these with a dedicated Self-Assessment team and the implementation of a comprehensive Gender Equality Action Plan.

Athena SWAN framework process

We currently hold a bronze institutional Athena SWAN award which was awarded in 2018 (you can download our Gender Action Plan above) and we are on the journey to improving towards silver. This involves a self-assessment process and the implementation of the Gender Equality Action Plan, mid-process impact measurements, data collection and analysis, application writing and revision, and submission of a new application every 5 years.

The Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team is responsible for delivering our institutional Gender Equality Action Plan and ensuring the impact of these actions. It is chaired by the Deputy Provost, and is accountable to the University Executive Committee through the Diversity Equality Action Group. This group aims to build a gender equal institution through policies, procedures, and practices which address inequalities and support the fulfilment of strategic aims.

“People are at the heart of our University. To reflect this, equality considerations have been integrated within the action plans supporting our strategic vision. Recognising the importance of EDI for achieving excellence in education, research and the wider student experience, we have invested in supporting this work….We have an ambitious action plan that reflects the aims of the expanded Charter, which will help enhance our sustained and successful commitment to widening participation and promoting equality and inclusion for all.”

Stuart Corbridge, Vice Chancellor and Warden

Click here for the Survey

An integral part of our gender equality journey is tracking the impact of equality, diversity, and inclusion action plans in our community. To do this we have developed a University-wide survey for staff on gender equality to capture your views and experiences. The survey only takes 15 minutes to complete and your answers will help us understand what impact has been made, where more change is needed, and how you think this can be achieved.

If you have any questions about filling in the survey you can contact us through edi.team@durham.ac.uk.

Athena SWAN community and resource pages

Durham University staff can click on the images below to access the Athena SWAN community forum, guidance and resources, and follow updates from the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Team and Advance HE.