Athena Swan ‘fosters complacency’ as universities stay on bronze

Athena Swan could be “fostering complacency” instead of advancing gender equality in higher education, according to researchers whose data indicates that some universities have been stuck on the charter’s lowest rung for as long as two decades.

The scheme was set up in 2005 to recognise the efforts of UK institutions and individual departments to improve the representation of women, making awards at bronze, silver and gold levels.

Now managed by Advance HE, the initiative has also been rolled out in Ireland and Australia, but questions have long been asked about its effectiveness, and the last major review, conducted in 2020, warned that the application process imposes an “unacceptable and unsustainable” burden on the academics involved, typically junior female staff.

Advance HE’s own data shows that, of 994 current UK awards – which last for five years and can be renewed – 63 per cent are at bronze level.

A new paper by three researchers, Lucy Hunter Blackburn, Kath Murray and Lisa Mackenzie, shared exclusively with Times Higher Education, notes that the bronze award requires an applicant to understand the gender equality issues it faces, and to have an action plan to address them – but it does not require an applicant to show evidence of success in reducing these disparities.

And, drawing on data provided by Advance HE, the trio write that of 78 universities holding institutional-level bronze awards, 35 had been on this tier for a decade or were on course to do so.

Of the 35, 10 had been at bronze for more than 15 years, with the longest stint apparently 19 years; and only four had subsequently progressed to a silver award – the first grade to demand evidence of success in addressing gender equality.

“That universities may remain at a bronze level for up to two decades suggests that the current…model does not necessarily incentivise improvement,” says the report, adding that annual membership fees create an incentive for Advance HE to keep institutions in the scheme regardless. “For universities, the description of bronze status as an ‘award’ may mean that institutions are content not to do more.”

The paper, published on 28 August, cites a preprint published last year that claimed that, while female representation in senior roles is increasing across the sector, no specific effect of Athena Swan participation was identifiable at institutional level.

And the trio’s paper warns that, given the administrative burden of Athena Swan participation, there was a risk that it could be “diverting resources and attention towards activities with no long-term impact”.

“It is open to question whether the scheme risks fostering complacency and creating a misleading impression of institutions’ achievements,” says the paper, which recommends that an independent review of Athena Swan be carried out.

Ms Mackenzie, a former civil servant, told THE that it was surely not the intention that universities should “just hang around” at the “very basic” bronze level and that it was “surprising” that little research had been conducted into the effectiveness of the programme.

“If it is working, then it’s not been evidenced by anybody properly,” she said.

David Bass, Advance HE’s director of equality, diversity and inclusion, noted that there has been “a strong improvement in gender equality” in the sector.

“Athena Swan is a voluntary framework which supports participants to develop evidence-based approaches to gender equality,” he said. “Higher education institutions work flexibly to meet their own context, with application and awards independently peer-reviewed.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com