Equality award success

Edinburgh has been formally recognised for its commitment to promoting gender equality.

The University has attained a prestigious Silver Institution award from the Athena SWAN initiative.

Athena SWAN is a national scheme that recognises a commitment to supporting women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine in higher education.

The University is one of only seven Institutions in the UK, and the first in Scotland, to hold this higher level of award.

I am delighted that the University has been successful in getting a Silver Institutional Athena Swan Award. This award is a tribute to the hard work of the many staff (both male and female) in putting strategies in place to support gender equality, and the genuine institutional commitment to this endeavour.

Sixteen Departmental Athena SWAN awards are held across the University: 10 at Bronze level, five at Silver and one at Gold level. The University is one of six Russell Group institutions in which all STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) Schools/Departments hold Athena SWAN awards.

History

The University is one of the original members of the Athena SWAN Charter, which was launched in 2005 and now has more than 130 member universities and research institutes. We were awarded our first University Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze in 2006 and successfully renewed it in 2009 and again in 2012.

Strategic theme

Enhancing equality and widening participation is outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan 2012-16 as a key strategic theme.