The School of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) at Queen Mary University of London has been awarded the Athena Golden Swan Award for significant advancements and achievements in gender equality in medicine. FMD is one of seven UK Colleges to receive a Gold Award.
The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used worldwide to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research. It was founded in 2005 to help remove the barriers women face in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. Since then, the initiative has addressed gender inequality more broadly across the globe.
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has been awarded the Silver Award since 2011, and to receive the Gold Award, the Faculty went through a rigorous application process, presentations based on longitudinal indicators, and evidence that the actions in the 2018 Action Plan have been completed. An independent panel of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) experts found the college to have made "very significant" progress over the five-year evaluation period.
Professor Mark Caulfield, Vice President of Health, said:
Receiving the Athena Swan Prize in Medicine at Queen Mary for advancing gender equality reflects our shared commitment to making our College a more equitable, inclusive place that celebrates diversity. I am so grateful to our EDI leadership team who have worked tirelessly to make this possible. Our Athena Swan Future Action Plan has been described as "ambitious" and I will make sure we achieve it. We will continue to strive to be the most inclusive university in the world. ”
Professor Chloe Orkin, the outgoing academic head of EDI, said:
I have spent my time and energy making a meaningful difference for our staff and students, and it is one of the most rewarding and rewarding jobs I have ever done. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the company over the past five years, and I am grateful to my colleagues on the senior leadership team who have worked with me to implement real change. I would like to give a special thank you to Edi** Laura Simpson, who has supported this work since 2019. Many thanks to my EDI representatives: Dr. Vanessa Apea, Prof. Ruth Dobson, Dr. Aylin Baysan, and especially Dr. Dunja Aksentijevic, our current President of Athena Swan. ”
Dr. Dunja Aksentijevic said
While the task of achieving full equality for women is daunting, the Athena Swan Gold Award is a recognition of the College and University working together to achieve an environment and world free of prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. A diverse, equitable and inclusive world. Application on this scale is a huge and arduous task, yet it is a great honor to be Athena Swan's academic leader in medicine. ”