Professor Alison HalsteadPro Vice ChancellorStrategic Academic Developments

Encouraging Women into Engineering Research in

Europe. What initiatives work?

Global Education Dialogues:The Asia Series

August 9-10, 2012Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Challenge. European Commission: She Figures, 2009. Getting off the sticky floor!

Conclusions from the 2009 She Figures

► The % of women is the smallest at the top of the academic hierarchy

► PhD situation slightly better but given the fact the more women than men graduate without proactive policies change will remain slow

► The gender pay gap is still a major EU concern. There is no country in the She figures where women's wages are equal to men’s wages, despite universal legalisation to impose equality!!

► Official measure of gap stood at 25% in the EU-27 in 2006

Athena Swan – Enabling Women’s career progression – A UK initiative

► Pro Vice Chancellor (Executive)► Executive Dean (EAS)► Head of Group (EAS)► Staff Development► Equality and Diversity Officer► Professor (Life and Health)► Lecturer (Life and Health)► Lecturer (Engineering)

The Athena SWAN Charter recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in science, engineering

and technology (SET) in higher education and research. 

http://www.athenaswan.org.uk

Aston University Athena Swan Team

Aston University, Birmingham, UK

► Students: 10,000► Engineering and Applied

Sciences► Life and Health Sciences► Business School ► Languages and Social

Sciences► 80% of all courses

include an internship ► Top 5 for Graduate

Employment ► Executive decision to

review progress of women

A review of the top University Committees

2005 male

2005female

2012 male

2012 female

Vice Chancellor

Male until 2006

Female from 2006

Female from 2006 to date

Executive Team

11 1 6 6

What did the benchmarking in Engineering at Aston University tell us?

A review of promotions in Engineering

What have we done

Increase the internal and external profile of female academics that contribute to National or International Events.

Continue to encourage and support women to apply for senior roles and promotions – by clarifying the criteria and opportunities for all

Pilot a new mentoring scheme for women in Science and Engineering to support these activities and involve undergraduate, postgraduate students

Successful initiatives in practice

► It is clear that policies without accountability and enforcement measures are not enough

► Collaboration► Networking ► Sharing, ► Everyone working together

in a mutually beneficial way

Brings about progress but change is slow!