Gender Equality at Divinity

The School of Divinity became the first Theology and Religious Studies department in the UK to receive a Bronze Athena SWAN award.

Women of New College 2015 400 — This photograph of the women of New College was taken to coincide with International Women’s Day 2015, in celebration of our successful achievement of an Athena SWAN Bronze Award for advancing gender equality.

Athena SWAN Bronze Award

We are delighted to have been awarded a Bronze Athena SWAN award (formerly the Gender Equality Charter Mark, or GEM) by the Equality Challenge Unit.

Equality Challenge Unit Website

This award recognises the School’s commitment to promoting gender equality. We are the first Theology and Religious Studies department in the UK to gain this award.

About the Athena SWAN award

In 2013 a Gender Equality Charter Mark (GEM) was set up by the Equality Challenge Unit as a Humanities counterpart to the Athena SWAN charter that has done so much to advance women’s career development in science and engineering subjects. We were one of a select few Schools to participate in the 2014 pilot of this scheme, resulting in a Bronze Award. In 2015 the GEM award was brought under the existing Athena SWAN brand. The award has three levels - bronze, silver and gold - each reflecting a more advanced level of good practice with regard to gender culture. The School of Divinity was awarded Bronze in 2014. We are now working towards applying for a Silver award.

The Workplace Culture Survey

As part of the Athena SWAN process, the School has surveyed staff and postgraduates about their experiences of the gender culture here in New College. Summaries of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 results (without the longer and more personal comments) can be found below. Summaries of 2013 survey results can be found in the Athena SWAN Bronze application, above. In 2015 we surveyed undergraduate students in addition to postgraduates and staff.

The results of the survey are used to check our progress and to inform new initiatives aimed at further improving the experiences of staff and students in the School.