The first Athena SWAN awards covering non-STEMM subjects and professional and support staff have been announced and two Queen's Schools have been recognised for their commitment to gender equality and career progression in higher education – the School of Modern Languages and the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work.

It is the first time Athena SWAN awards have been extended to arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law departments (AHSSBL), alongside the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines that it traditionally covered. Both Queen's schools gained the new Bronze award.

Professor Adrienne Scullion, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said: "It is an outstanding achievement for Queen's to have secured two of only five Athena SWAN awrds being made in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law across the UK - so huge congratulations to our colleagues in the School of Modern Languages and the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work for having received Bronze Awards.  This is the first time that Athena SWAN awards have been extended to these subject areas and having two Schools receive Bronze Awards is a great indicator of the work being done across the whole of the Faculty and wider University to promote policies around equality and diversity in general and gender equality in particular.  The challenge to deliver even more on this agenda is clear – and I hope that the success of these first two awards will inspire us all to work towards even greater gender equality at Queen's".

Dr Anna Tristram, one of two Champions in the School of Modern Languages (the other being Dr Claire Moran) who prepared the application with colleagues in their Self-Assessment Team, said: “We are delighted to be the first Modern Languages unit nationally to be awarded a SWAN award, and to be part of this inaugural round extending the scheme to AHSSBL subjects. The process of preparing an application was demanding, and the assessment of it rigorous, but the principles of the SWAN charter are ones that we in Modern Languages firmly believe in, and continue to embed into every area, to the benefit of everyone in our School”.

Dr Tanya Serisier, SWAN champion for the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, said: "As a school with a majority of female staff and students, the process of applying for a SWAN award has encouraged us to think more deeply about gender equality and how to build a supportive community for all students and staff. Achieving the Bronze award is a great encouragement in continuing to work towards equality for all staff and students in the School."


Read the full announcement here.