Dear Hilary,

many thanks for raising this issue for discussion here.

A few initial thoughts to add:

Numbers and proportions do matter, but you're right that they are not sufficient in and of themselves.

The WGSG/GFGRG survey of gender and career experience In UK Geography showed that:

i) although the gender gap is narrowing for promoted posts, there is still a significant way to go
ii) the ethos and culture of any department is really important in shaping attitudes and practices (e.g. the reported differences between a legal right to maternity leave and colleagues' attitudes towards those who took that leave
iii) HoDs and other senior figures are really important in shaping that departmental culture and ensuring due processes for both entitlements and appointments/promotions.

Finally, just to highlight for those who may not be aware that the combination of Athena Swan and Gender Equality Charter Mark in 2015 means engaging with gender equality via this route is not limited to STEM-facing subjects/ departments, but  is now open to Humanities and Social Science subjects. See:

www.ecu.ac.uk/equality-charter-marks/gender-equality-charter-mark/

Needless to say its very telling that it has taken this HEFCE initiaitve to get some departments to engage with these issues, but the accreditation process does provide an important mechanism and motivation.

Please add myself and UWE colleague Juliet Jain ([log in to unmask]) to your mailing list.

Looking forward to continuing the conversation.

Best wishes,
Avril


Dr Avril Maddrell,
Associate Professor in Human Geography,
Associate Head of Department (Research and Scholarship),
Department of Geography and Environmental Management,
University of the West of England,
Coldharbour Lane,
Bristol BS16 1QY
Tel. 0117 32 83123

See Twitter: https://twitter.com/@AvrilMaddrell

Co-Editor, Gender, Place and Culture
________________________________________
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hilary Geoghegan [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 February 2015 09:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: #athenaSWAN, gender, fieldwork

Dear all,

I want to talk about Athena SWAN, gender and fieldwork.

Over the last 5 years or more, Geography departments across the UK have been applying for Athena SWAN awards. For those critters unfamiliar with the scheme, all Athena SWAN members sign up to the principles of the charter:
* To address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation
* To tackle the unequal representation of women in science requires changing cultures and attitudes across the organisation
* The absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels has broad implications which the organisation will examine
* The high loss rate of women in science is an urgent concern which the organisation will address
* The system of short-term contracts has particularly negative consequences for the retention and progression of women in science, which the organisation recognises
* There are both personal and structural obstacles to women making the transition from PhD into a sustainable academic career in science, which require the active consideration of the organisation

Geography has long engaged in theoretical and empirical discussions of gender. However, Athena SWAN is  (hopefully) involving discussions in the heart of our departments and between people who feel they have (as one visitor to our School recently commented) "less" or "more" gender. I'd be interested to hear from colleagues how to have successful cross-discipline conversations about gender and equality. To say - "we have 'x' female professors" - is not to be gender equal.

Athena SWAN awards often mean working "against the grain" and this can be a very important, yet tiring and sometimes lonely process for the individuals involved in leading the application. I am leading my School's A/S self assessment team and I'd like to connect with other department leads. Could you please forward this email to your A/S lead? My plan is to compile an online group and a meeting in-person at the RGS-IBG conference. This extends events already organised by our learned society.

There is also a need to encourage greater discussion on the topic. My School has recently commenced a blog on the subject of gender and fieldwork (and careers). See below: if you have similar initiatives please do forward me the links - I will connect them up.

SAGE(S) Advice: Fieldwork, Gender & Careers: http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/sages-advice-fieldwork-gender-careers/

I'm very positive about the Athena SWAN process, but many of the actions are things we should be doing regardless of a bronze, silver or gold award. Please do get in touch if this is of interest to you.

Best wishes,

Hilary

Dr Hilary Geoghegan
Lecturer in Human Geography
University of Reading
[log in to unmask]
www.hilarygeoghegan.wordpress.com