Athena Swan

The Athena Swan Charter recognises good practice in promoting gender equality in higher education

 

The University of Oxford was a founder member of the Athena Swan Charter and has held an institutional Athena Swan Bronze award since 2006.

2023 Institutional Silver Award 

In February 2023, for the first time, the University was awarded an institutional Silver award, acknowledging the progress that has been made in addressing a number of gender gaps across the University over the last five years.  

Main areas of achievement: 

  • Introducing a suite of measures to support parents and carers, including Day 1 entitlement to paid family leave, carer’s leave, career break options, paid fertility treatment leave, and expanded adoption leave.
  • Sustained progress in addressing the gender gap in academic roles, with female staff comprising 27% of all professors (up from 18% in 2012), 20% of Statutory Professors (up from 11% in 2012) and 36% of Associate Professors, without title (up from 29% in 2012). 
  • A huge leap in the number of departments/faculties with Athena Swan awards over the last ten years, from 7 awards in 2012 to 42 awards (21 Silver and 21 Bronze). In 2022, for the first time, Medical Sciences also became the first all-Silver division, with 16 departmental Silver awards. 

The 2023 action plan lays out 8 objectives to be achieved by 2028: 

  • Objective 1: Strengthen department/faculty engagement and coordination of EDI work 
  • Objective 2: Ensure University decision-making and governance structures are representative of the University community and inclusive in practice and culture 
  • Objective 3: Continue to increase the proportion of women in senior academic roles 
  • Objective 4: Address the gendered aspects of caring and wellbeing that negatively impact on career progression and retention 
  • Objective 5: Tackle bullying and harassment across the University 
  • Objective 6: Embed inclusive research practices across the university 
  • Objective 7: Increase levels of satisfaction and inclusion amongst Trans and non-binary staff and students 
  • Objective 8: Address issues of gendered job segregation impacting the gender pay gap 

The Athena Swan 2023 action plan was developed in partnership with the race equality charter action plan, and supports measures already being undertaken in the Concordat action plan for early career researchers. 

The Joint Committee on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) acts as the Self Assessment Team for the Athena Swan action plan, and is accountable for delivery of the plan objectives.

 

2022 Institutional Athena Swan Application and Action Plan 
 

The University is proud of the progress that has been made on Athena Swan at department level.

An Athena Swan award represents a substantial commitment to advancing gender equality at the local level, involving a lot of time and effort from staff and students to analyse data, identify gaps and design actions. 

As of March 2025, the University holds 43 department and faculty awards:

  • 4 Gold awards
  • 19 Silver awards
  • 20 Bronze awards

In 2022, the Medical Sciences Division became the University’s first all-Silver division with 16 departments holding a Silver Athena Swan award, and in 2023 the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences received the University’s first Gold award. 

To learn more about Athena Swan at department level, visit the divisional webpage:

Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, the Athena Swan Charter is a gender advancement accreditation scheme which supports good practice for gender equality in higher education. It offers a valuable framework for introducing cultural change to create a better working and learning environment for all genders. The charter is owned by Advance HE.

In 2015, the Charter was expanded to cover all subjects and to include a focus on professional and support staff, as well as recognition of issues faced by people of all gender identities. The 'Transformed' Athena Swan charter was launched in 2021; it included a number of improvements, including flexibility and autonomy for institutions and departments to focus on their own prioritised; revised award criteria with clarified expectations; and a developmental approach, providing stronger support and feedback.

 

 

The Transformed Athena Swan Charter was launched on 30 June 2021, following extensive consultations with the sector.  Key features of the new framework are:

  • Flexibility and autonomy for institutions and departments to focus on their own priorities
  • Revised award criteria with clarified expectations
  • A developmental approach, providing stronger support and feedback.
  • Reduced data reporting requirements that lessen administrative burden.

Further details of the Transformed Charter are available via the Advance HE website.  Read the EDU briefing which summarises the main changes and view a recording of a University webinar on the changes and what they mean for the University:

Advance HE Athena Swan silver award logo

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