The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used across the world to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research. It was established in 2005 to help remove barriers faced by women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine. The initiative has since grown to tackle gender inequality more broadly.

The School's application was led by Swan Co-champions, Dr Deirdre Gilpin and Prof Wafa-Al Jamal. Receiving news of the Award, Dr Gilpin commented:

“We are delighted to have received this wonderful award, which recognises the School’s commitment to gender equality over many years. The School received its first Athena Swan Award in 2010 and, since then, we have been working to embed gender equality in the working life of the School.

We were the first School of Pharmacy in the UK and on the island of Ireland to be awarded a Silver Award fin 2014 and are delighted now to translate that to Gold in 2024. This award is an acknowledgement of how far we as a School have come, and that the principles of fairness and inclusion are firmly embedded within our department.”

This significant achievement for the School is announced just one year after the University was named the first university on the island of Ireland and only the second in the UK to achieve the gold level of the prestigious higher education award for its work improving gender equality.

Professor Al-Jamal added:

“In order to secure the Gold, we have delivered an ambitious action plan including the provision of mentoring opportunities, supporting career progression for female academics, ensuring distribution of academic housework and embedding the of principles of equality, diversity and inclusion across the School. 

We have supported others to improve by sharing best practice across the sector, and we aim to provide a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all our staff and students. We are committed to continue to deliver excellence in the field going forward.”

Commenting on the Award, Professor Gavin Andrews, Head of the School of Pharmacy, added:

“I am delighted that the School of Pharmacy has achieved the Gold Athena Swan Award. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to gender equality and our pursuit of fairness and inclusion.

I would like to pay special thanks to Dr Deirdre Gilpin and Professor Wafa Al-Jamal, whose determination and hard work were instrumental in leading our Swan Gold application. Their dedication has been a driving force behind this achievement and the significant strides we are we are making towards a more equitable future.”

Queen’s relationship with the Athena Swan programme to promote gender equality in higher education started in 2003, when the University achieved the Royal Society Athena Award. Two years later, Queen’s was one of 10 founding members of the Athena Swan Charter, holding an Institutional Silver Award since 2007.

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

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