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In Pictures: Queen’s marks 25 years of Queen's Gender Initiative

Queen’s University Belfast marked 25 years of Queen's Gender Initiative with a special event celebrating recent Athena Swan achievements across its faculties and schools.

large group of people posing for an award photograph in an old hall with paintings hanging on the wood-paneled walls and a projector screen reading 'Congratulations on your success'

The celebration, held in the Great Hall, welcomed representatives from 15 Schools across the University, recently recognised with Athena Swan awards, who were presented with special certificates to honour their achievements.

The Athena Swan Charter is a rigorous, peer-reviewed external framework that recognises the commitment shown by universities and their individual Schools and Departments to advancing gender equality.

All 15 Schools at Queen’s now hold Athena Swan Awards, including seven Gold, four Silver, and four Bronze. Notably, the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences has achieved an all-Gold status, becoming the first faculty of its kind to achieve this prestigious accolade. 

Queen’s has held an institutional Gold Athena Swan Award since 2024, making it the first university on the island of Ireland - and one of three in the UK - to achieve this level of recognition for its outstanding work in promoting gender equality.

These recent achievements reflect the ongoing and sustained commitment of staff to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of university life. 

woman wearing glasses and vibrant blue top speaking from a podium. A pop-up stand in the background reads 'Queen's University Belfast / Queen's Gender Initiative / Supporting Women in Queen's since 2000'.

group of two men and four women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

group of two men and three women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

two men and two women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

group of four men and four women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

group of people collecting an award in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

woman collecting a framed certificate award from a man in suit in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

people chatting and mingling at an event in an old wood-paneled hall with portraits hanging on the wall in the background

two women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

man wearing suit and glasses speaking from a podium. A pop-up stand in the background reads 'Queen's University Belfast / Queen's Gender Initiative / Supporting Women in Queen's since 2000'.

two men wearing glasses and suits - one holding a painting - and a woman holding a framed award certificate in an old event hall with large decorated fireplace, pop-up stands and presentation screen in the background

two mature men wearing glasses and suits and two young women posing for a photo in an old wood-paneled event hall with large decorated fireplace and pop-up stands in the background

a woman holding a framed award certificate poses for a photo with four men in an old wood-paneled hall with large decorated fireplace and presentation screen in the background, framed by two celebratory balloon pillars

two besuited men posing with a framed painting in an old event hall with large fireplace in the background and pop-up stands and balloon pillars framing them

man and woman pose with a framed award certificate alongside two other women in an old event hall with large fireplace, pop-up stands and balloon pillars pictured to the sides and in the background

three female members of a string quartet playing at a formal event in an old wood-paneled hall

two smiling besuited men posing with a colleague and holding a framed painting in an old event hall with large fireplace in the background and pop-up stands and balloon pillars on either side

smiling woman and man, pictured with two other women, posing while holding a framed painting in an old event hall with large fireplace in the background and pop-up stands and balloon pillars on either side

group of people posing with a framed award certificate in an old event hall with presentation screen, pop-up stands and balloon pillars in the background

woman pictured with a man in a suit holding a framed award certificate in an old wood-paneled event hall with large fireplace and presentation screen in the background and pop-up stands and balloon pillars on either side

man wearing glasses and suit speaking from a podium. A pop-up stand in the background reads 'Queen's University Belfast / Queen's Gender Initiative / Supporting Women in Queen's since 2000'.

woman pictured with a man in a suit holding a framed award certificate in an old wood-paneled event hall with large fireplace and presentation screen in the background and pop-up stands and balloon pillars on either side

group of people collecting an award in an old wood-paneled event hall with pop-up stands, balloon pillars and presentation screen in the background

More information

For more information about Queen’s work with Athena Swan, please visit the Athena Swan at Queen’s website.

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