ArticleBMJ open2020
Athena SWAN and gender diversity: a UK-based retrospective cohort study.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Gender differences in faculty rank among academic physicians: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2021Pooled it
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- Staff disability data in UK higher education: Evidence from EDI reports.Medical humanities · 2024Article
- NIHR Race Equality Framework: development of a tool for addressing racial equality in public involvement.Research involvement and engagement · 2024Article
- Gender differences in peer reviewed grant applications, awards, and amounts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Research integrity and peer review · 2023Review
- Why are women still leaving academic medicine? A qualitative study within a London Medical School.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Article
- A Year into the Pandemic: An Update on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2022Review
- Gender inequality in the global mental health research workforce: a research authorship scoping review and qualitative study in Nepal.BMJ global health · 2021Article
- Certifying Gender Equality in Research: Lessons Learnt From Athena SWAN and Total E-Quality Award Schemes.Frontiers in sociology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo promote gender diversity and equity in higher education, Athena Scientific Women's Academic Network (SWAN) supports and recognises higher education institutions (HEI) in advancing the careers of women through charter commitment, awards, training and advocacy since 2005. Most evaluation studies, however, are based on qualitative assessments. This study sought to (1) examine the relationship between Athena SWAN accreditation/awards in the UK and gender diversity of leaders and senior academics using quantitative data from 2012/2013 to 2016/2017, and (2) explore the associations between Athena SWAN awards and university performance as measured by overall scores in global ranking systems.
designRetrospective cohort study based on the UK HEIs.
settingHigher education sector in the UK provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
participants148 HEIs who provided employment data on female-to-male ratios (55% complete data) for each academic year between 2012/2013 and 2016/2017. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Gender diversity, defined as female representation rates of positions in managerial leadership (eg, heads of institutions, department heads) and professors. The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings scores, an indicator of research, teaching, employability and internationalisation, were collected to measure university performance.
resultsGender diversity of managerial leaders and non-managerial professors at all levels of Athena SWAN status has improved over the 5 years. Linear mixed effects models identified that Athena SWAN awardees had lower female representation than non-awardees in managerial leadership positions (p<0.05), while the gap was narrowed among Silver awardees over time. Athena SWAN Charter members had increasingly higher female representation than those not in the Charter (p<0.05). Silver-award institutions ranked higher in QS rankings than Bronze-award institutions (β=11.80, p<0.05).
conclusionsThere are overall rising trends in gender diversity from 2012/2013 to 2016/2017. Athena SWAN members showed greater and faster growth in female representations. Silver awardees had greater university performance than Bronze awardees.
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