AMBS and MACE recognised in gender equality double success
16 May 2019
The University has a strong history of working towards gender equality via local and university-wide actions
From removing barriers to increase the proportion of women in senior roles, to improving the gender balance of our student cohort. Culture change takes time and it may take years of persistent efforts to welcome slight improvements in demographics. Changes reported by the School of MACE are a great example of what can be achieved over time. The School has successfully renewed their 2014 Bronze Athena SWAN Award; the latest award is the School’s first under the new Athena SWAN Charter, which now includes Professional Support staff.
Alice Larkin, Head of School: “The School is delighted with the recent news that we have renewed our Bronze Athena SWAN Award. Since our last award in 2014, significant progress has been made within the School and we truly believe that a more diverse staff and student voice is now audible and is driving a much fairer environment for us all. Looking forwards, we feel this is only the start of the hard work ahead to deeply embed this culture and to continue to champion the equality diversity and inclusion agenda and we have ambitious plans of how to do this.”
Alliance Manchester Business School are celebrating their first Athena SWAN Bronze award since becoming eligible for recognition. The School’s Strategic Plan exhibits the commitment to diversity in all areas including gender and the Equality and Diversity Committee works hard to ensure equality across the School.
Head of School, Professor Fiona Devine, CBE, FAcSS, FRSA, praised the School’s endeavours: “I am delighted with this news and would like to thank the School’s Equality and Diversity Committee, chaired by Dr Isabel Tavora, for its hard work and commitment in not only raising awareness of equality throughout the School but for the application process itself. It was very much a team effort with numerous colleagues from all areas and levels of the organisation contributing.”
Dr Isabel Tavora, who led the School’s Athena SWAN application, said: “I am really pleased to have the hard work of the Equality and Diversity Committee rewarded with this award, which recognises the School’s commitment to advance gender equality. The Athena SWAN action plan is designed to raise awareness and to support this journey towards greater equality and inclusion. We have worked on a number of initiatives, from the creation and expansion of a carers’ support fund, to new guidelines for inclusive gender balanced events alongside organising our own various awareness-raising and information sessions.
“The Athena SWAN action plan also includes looking into our recruitment and human resource practices to consider ways in which we could improve the gender balance of our studentship and staff, particularly in higher grades, where women are very under-represented. To achieve this, we really need the engagement of all colleagues in its implementation.”
Whilst the Schools’ Self-Assessment Teams are responsible for analysing the data and devising appropriate actions, it is the responsibility of each individual at the School to recognise their role in achieving a fairer environment for work and study. To find out more about your School’s gender equality work and how you can contribute, please contact the University’s Athena SWAN Coordinator, Sarah Mohammad-Qureshi, S.Mohammad-2@manchester.ac.uk.