scholarly journals Positive Action Towards Gender Equality: Evidence from the Athena SWAN Charter in UK Medical Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Gregory-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
Athena Swan

scholarly journals Promoting gender equality and structural change in academia through gender equality plans: Harmonising EU and national initiatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2021) ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Rita Bencivenga ◽  
Eileen Drew
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Structural Change ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
National Initiatives ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
Athena Swan ◽  
The Eu

Gender equality has been actively promoted in EU academic institutions by the European Commission’s Science with and for Society (SwafS) programme through the implementation of gender equality plans (GEP). GEP formulation and implementation was strongly influenced by involvement in EU projects in Irish as well as Italian higher education institutions. The paper draws upon experience of the EU project SAGE (H2020), in which Irish and Italian universities actively cooperated, the Athena SWAN Charter in Ireland, Positive Action Plans (PAP) in Italy, and semi structured interviews with gender experts in Irish and Italian higher education institutions to explore the degree to which participation in EU and national initiatives can promote similar outcomes by the adoption of positive actions. The paper concludes that a harmonised strategy, focusing on common priorities and respecting cultural, political and social diversity, could promote the internationalization of the higher education sector and accelerate the process towards gender equality in academia.

scholarly journals Gender, family and employment in comparative perspective: the realities and representations of equal opportunities in Britain and France

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosmary Crompton ◽  
Nicky Le Feuvre
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

In this paper, we will explore how contrasting national discourses relating to women, and gender equality have been incorporated into and reflected in national policies. In the first section, we will outline the recent history of EU equal opportunities policy, in which positive action has been replaced by a policy of 'mainstreaming'. Second, we will describe the evolution of policies towards women and equal opportunities in Britain and France. It will be argued that whereas some degree of positive action for women has been accepted in Britain, this policy is somewhat alien to French thinking about equality - although pro-natalist French policies have resulted in favourable conditions for employed mothers in France. In the third section, we will present some attitudinal evidence, drawn from national surveys, which would appear to reflect the national policy differences we have identified in respect of the 'equality agenda'. In the fourth section, we will draw upon biographical interviews carried out with men and women in British and French banks in order to illustrate the impact of these cross-national differences within organizations and on individual lives. We demonstrate that positive action gender equality policies have made an important impact in British banks, while overt gender exclusionary practices still persist in the French banks studied. In the conclusion, we reflect on the European policy implications of our findings.

scholarly journals EU Equality Commitments and Shifting Meanings of Gender Equality

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin J. Black
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
Policy Frames ◽  
Policy Making Process ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Action Measures ◽  
Treatment Policies

This article follows the development of a European Union gender equality regime through three broad periods: equal treatment policies, positive action measures, and Gender Mainstreaming. The policy-making process entails conflict between competing policy frames; unequal resources behind each secures the dominance of an economic frame. Strategical framing practices have been employed by equality advocates to overcome this disadvantage. This article traces the gradual shifts in meaning within each period until equality goals are integrated into the dominant economic policy frame. It concludes that equality advocates need to engage in deeper analyses of power in order to sustain attention to equality goals over longer periods of time.

scholarly journals Certifying Gender Equality in Research: Lessons Learnt From Athena SWAN and Total E-Quality Award Schemes

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charikleia Tzanakou ◽  
Kate Clayton-Hathway ◽  
Anne Laure Humbert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Quality Award ◽  
Research Organisations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Athena Swan

In the past 2 decades, many Certification and Award schemes (CAS) related to gender equality, diversity and inclusion have emerged in the higher education, research and industry sectors. According to a recent report, there are as many as 113 CAS which have been identified across Europe and beyond. These CAS aim at addressing inequalities in relation to the grounds of sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and disability among others. The high number of CAS, and their continued growth, has taken place in parallel to the shift of policies and efforts from “fixing individuals” to “fixing the system.” In these schemes, gender equality is often understood as a structural, systemic challenge, with a recognition that advancing gender equality is complex and requires drivers and interventions at micro, meso and macro level. Studies focused on analysing and evaluating gender equality initiatives in higher education have been scarce, and often limited to specific schemes. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a better understanding of the CAS landscape through comparing two of the main gender equality schemes used by research-performing organisations in Europe Athena SWAN (in the UK) and Total E-Quality Award (in Germany). Based on qualitative interviews with stakeholders across Europe and document analysis, this paper focuses on strengths, challenges faced by and the impact of these CAS. This comparative exercise highlights particular learning points that can inform potential reviews of existing schemes and/or the development of new schemes such as a Europe-wide scheme. The latter is the focus of a Horizon 2020 project entitled CASPER (Certification-Award Systems to Promote Gender Equality in Research), which aims at making recommendations to the European Commission as to the feasibility of a Europe-wide CAS for gender equality in research organisations.

scholarly journals What role can Athena SWAN play in gender equality and science communication?

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. C06
Author(s):  
Clare Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Culture Change ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
University Departments ◽  
Athena Swan

This essay discusses how gender-focused culture change initiatives developed for science (like Athena SWAN) might offer models for science communication. Such initiatives can seek to mobilise change amongst university departments and practices, but there are also potential pitfalls in such approaches. Using experiences in a department at UWE Bristol as a basis, the article will consider whether such schemes in science offer potential for science communication to reflect on its own gender imbalances.

scholarly journals Good practice or positive action? Using Q methodology to identify competing views on improving gender equality in academic medicine

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e015973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise D Bryant ◽  
Paula Burkinshaw ◽  
Allan O House ◽  
Robert M West ◽  
Vicky Ward
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Academic Medicine ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesThe number of women entering medicine has increased significantly, yet women are still under-represented at senior levels in academic medicine. To support the gender equality action plan at one School of Medicine, this study sought to (1) identify the range of viewpoints held by staff on how to address gender inequality and (2) identify attitudinal barriers to change.DesignQ methodology. 50 potential interventions representing good practice or positive action, and addressing cultural, organisational and individual barriers to gender equality, were ranked by participants according to their perception of priority.SettingThe School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, UK.ParticipantsFifty-five staff members were purposively sampled to represent gender and academic pay grade.ResultsPrincipal components analysis identified six competing viewpoints on how to address gender inequality. Four viewpoints favoured positive action interventions: (1) support careers of women with childcare commitments, (2) support progression of women into leadership roles rather than focus on women with children, (3) support careers of all women rather than just those aiming for leadership, and (4) drive change via high-level financial and strategic initiatives. Two viewpoints favoured good practice with no specific focus on women by (5) recognising merit irrespective of gender and (6) improving existing career development practice. No viewpoint was strongly associated with gender, pay grade or role; however, latent class analysis identified that female staff were more likely than male to prioritise the setting of equality targets. Attitudinal barriers to the setting of targets and other positive action initiatives were identified, and it was clear that not all staff supported positive action approaches.ConclusionsThe findings and the approach have utility for those involved in gender equality work in other medical and academic institutions. However, the impact of such initiatives needs to be evaluated in the longer term.

Gender equality and gender mainstreaming: the issue of equal opportunities in the European context

2019 ◽  
pp. 9-30
Author(s):  
Vera Lomazzi ◽  
Isabella Crespi
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Eu

This chapter deals with the definition, understanding and exploration of the issue of gender equality approaches that the EU has developed to promote equal opportunities between men and women. The chapter examines the different strategies used across time to implement gender equality in the EU and how this conceptualisation led to the current approach of gender mainstreaming. In particular, three phases are identified and discussedinthe chapter: equal treatment, positive action and gender mainstreaming. The last one is discussed deeply because itformed a substantial and important backbone in the context of the individual rights of citizens of the Union by creating a basis of equal rights guaranteed to all, regardless of gender. The goal pursued by gender mainstreaming approach consists of a deep change in the organizational culture of society, institutions and workplace, where gender equality should be implemented in a transformed cultural framework.

Resurrecting positive action

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-433
Author(s):  
Christopher McCrudden
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Economic ◽  
Economic Area ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
Regulatory Approach ◽  
The Eu

Abstract The idea of “positive action” has long been regarded as a key element in a gender equality strategy and has been extensively promoted by the European Union (EU) as such. This brief comment considers: (i) how far positive action has been adopted in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA); (ii) the reasons why the practice of positive action has fallen short of the ambitions that the EU has had for it; and (iii) how it might best be resurrected. I emphasize in particular the need for a radically revised regulatory approach to be adopted, one more in keeping with the insights of regulatory theory in other contexts.

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