The Faculty of History has retained the Athena SWAN Bronze Award
Following the Faculty of History successful application in 2019 to receive the Bronze Athena SWAN award, we recently submitted our application to continue our work for the next five years and we are pleased to announce that this application has been successful.
Martin Conway, the Chair of the History Faculty Board, said: “The Faculty is delighted that Athena Swan have renewed our Bronze Status. It is a vindication of the hard work by all sections of the Faculty to make us the inclusive community we want to be.”
We have achieved a number of notable successes since our first award in 2019 including the creation of a new pathway within our MSt/MPhil in History degree focussing on Gender, Queer, and Women’s History, and the creation of chairs in Women’s History and the History of Sexualities.
Dr Hannah Skoda (Athena SWAN Academic Co-Lead) and Dr Suzan Meryem Rosita Kalayci (Athena SWAN Academic Co-Lead) had worked over the last 12 months to put together our most recent application.
Hannah Skoda comments: “An Athena Swan application represents a huge collective effort on the part of the History Faculty to reflect and celebrate a more inclusive atmosphere in the Faculty, but equally to recognise and address continuing and emerging challenges”
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.
Suzan Meryem Rosita Kalayci said:“ Receiving the Athena SWAN Bronze award is a significant and welcome recognition of the work we’ve undertaken across the Faculty. This process has been rigorous and reflective, and we are proud of the resulting action plan which signals our clear commitment to equity and inclusivity in all aspects of our academic life.
The insights of all groups within the Faculty have been essential to making this a truly Faculty-wide initiative.
The process of applying has already helped bring about change.Our Athena SWAN action plan aligns with the transformed Charter and signals a long-term commitment to supporting all staff—of all gender identities and those experiencing intersecting inequalities. “
This is a powerful moment to continue working to produce real, lasting change that makes the Faculty more inclusive, equitable, and intellectually vibrant for all.
