Faculty of History awarded an Athena SWAN bronze award

The Faculty of History is delighted to have been awarded an Athena SWAN bronze award holder for the first time.

Zoe Townsend, Head of Administration and Finance for the History Faculty stated: “I am thrilled that the Faculty has received our Athena SWAN Bronze Award and would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication in making it happen. We have impetus and a clear action plan to continue developing the Faculty as a supportive environment for all.”

Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.

In May 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Professor John Watts, Chair of the History Faculty Board said: “I am delighted that the Faculty has achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze Award, the first for a humanities faculty at Oxford. We have worked hard at this – especially the Self-Assessment Team – and I think it has been really positive for us. Now we shall get to grips with implementing the plans we have made and trying to realise our ambition to be fully equal and inclusive”. The Regius Professor of History, Lyndal Roper said “I am over the moon and proud.”

For more information on the Athena SWAN award see their website.