Athena SWAN

Sanjay PurkayasthaCSL Bariatric Surgery

What is Athena SWAN?• SWAN – scientific women’s academic network• The Charter was launched in June 2005.• It aims to address gender imbalance within science,

technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM).

• It recognises and celebrates good practice on recruiting, retaining and promoting women in STEMM.

• There are 3 levels of award, bronze, silver and gold.• There are currently 260 institutions and department’s

holding awards.

Why is it important?• “It is the right thing to do.”

• Research Council UK (RCUK) expect those in receipt of Research Council (BRC) funding to provide evidence of participation in schemes such as Athena SWAN

• The application process enables us to reflect on current practices that promote gender equality.

• It provides a framework for introducing cultural changes that create a better working environment for BOTH men AND women.

• By 2015, Athena Swan accreditation at Silver award level will be a requirement when making funding applications to the NIHR, and it is expected other funding bodies will follow suit.

• 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

High profile

• In 2011, the Chief Medical Officer announced that the NIHR would only expect to shortlist medical schools for biomedical research centre (BRC) and unit funding if the school holds a Silver Athena SWAN award.

• This was later expanded to include patient safety research centre funding too.

Initial Review

• Staff and Student Survey

• Group feedback• Direct feedback• HR Data

Action Plan

• Events arranged• Initiatives put in

place

Change

• Evaluation of change

• Application submission

• Feedback for review and further action plan development

How does it work?

Athena SWAN• An Athena SWAN Silver award is required for BRC funding• Surgery and Cancer formed the Academic Opportunities committee (AOC),

which first met in September 2013• A Departmental staff survey was taken in October 2013 with 49% of staff

completing the survey• Focus groups took place in November with 7 focus groups – attended by 55

people (approximately 10% of Department)- St Mary’s group was attended by 7 women and 0 men- Charing Cross had 9 women and 13 men attending, due to Alun Davies and Tony Gordon working hard to get people from all

levels to attend• A further focus group was convened to gather the perspectives and views of

Clinical Academics in the Division of Surgery, which was attended by 10 female staff

• The survey and Focus Groups fed into the Bronze

Application and Action Plan, which was submitted in April 2014 – we were awarded Bronze status last week!

• The next stage is to get more people engaged in Athena SWAN and start implementing the changes set out in the Action plan

• The Silver application will be submitted in April 2015

• The application for the bronze award demonstrated a lack of senior clinical academic staff in surgery…which needs to be addressed

Current Team• Professor Lesley Regan• Professor George Hanna

• Professor Roger Kneebone• Professor Wendy Atkin

• Julia Anderson• Professor Andrea Frilling• Professor Alun Davies

• Dr Paul Strutton• Dr Tony Gordon • Dr Daqing Ma

• Kathryn Johnson• Many others

Why am I involved?• New appointment at ICL but know the Surgical department at

ICNHT for 15 years• Previous experience in providing educational program at UG

level help with training for future female surgeons and for gender equality in surgery

• Academic surgeon with clinical practice• Young family with wife who is a clinical academic too.• Educational supervisor to 2 young female trainees who would be

excellent as case studies for the Athena Swan silver application• Have working knowledge of all surgical sites at the AHSC that is

Imperial.• My clinical team last year – I was the only man on the team!

Our next steps

Evidence of impact of action plan

Evidence of start of cultural shift

Case studies – success stories

Needed for Spring 2015 Silver application

Athena markers

• Baseline Data And Supporting Evidence• UG and PG Students data / feedback• Key Career Transition Points,

Appointments, Promotions• Career Advice and Support• Culture, Communications and

Development Organization

Possibilities for Athena SWAN in ICL

What's on for

students and

employees?

Career Development Talks

Careers Service Sessions

Women in Science talks

Jobs and Careers website pages e.g. S&C blog and S&C lifestyle webpage

about to be launched

Family friendly events

Focus groups

Just over a century ago….

• Eleanor Davies-Colley became the first female FRCS in 1911

More recently….

• Statistics from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that in 2011, 55% of those accepted on to medical degree courses in the UK were women, however in the same year just 26% of surgical specialty trainees were women, and women made up only 8.7% of consultant surgeons.

Surgery at ICL

• UG - Alison McGregor is President of the Student Surgical Society – invited by the students

• After bronze award – shown to need more well balanced structure and MORE female clinical academic surgeons

• Currently 4 CLs, 0 CSLs, 0 Readers, 1 Prof• Previously 1 Prof (Averil Mansfield); 1 CSL (Averil

Chang)• Why?

What’s already out there?

• Women in surgery at RCS (UK)• Association of women surgeons (USA)• Women in surgery RCS (Australia)

• Industry examples non medical• Workshops• Leadership roles• Focus groups• Mentor – mentee relationships

What else can we do?• Accept there is an issue!• Work on our weaknesses• Communicate with the relevant stake holders from UG – PG groups• Listen!• Work out different ways of working?• Identify future female surgeons and nurture them• Make the specialty more appealing• Infra structure aids

– Working patterns– Child care– Transport

• Help to change attitudes and educate others• Lead by example• Look for examples of better working practice and departments and senior female

academic surgeons in other institutions internationally• Be involved on a one to one level when necessary.

A

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

AT

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

• Take on board new problems

ATH

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

• Take on board new problems• Help those already in the system

ATHE

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

• Take on board new problems• Help those already in the system• Engage ourselves and others

ATHEN

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

• Take on board new problems• Help those already in the system• Engage ourselves and others• Nurture our juniors (and our colleagues!)

ATHENA SWAN

• Accept we as a division / department could do better

• Take on board new problems• Help those already in the system• Engage ourselves and others• Nurture our juniors (and our colleagues!)• Address issues efficiently

Thank you and questions?