WBS achieves gold Athena Swan Award for supporting gender equality

Warwick Business School has become the first business school in the UK to be awarded gold level Athena Swan status for its work on improving gender equality, which builds upon the previous silver award gained in 2018.

It means the School has demonstrated its continuing commitment to the principles which underpin the Athena Swan Charter framework, which is managed by Advance HE, and is part of a global community addressing gender inequalities and working to embed inclusive cultures.

Andy Lockett, Dean of WBS and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, said: “We are delighted to receive an Athena Swan gold award for our continuous work around gender equality.

“Not only are we the first business school in the UK to be awarded gold, but the first department of the University of Warwick as well.

“The award is very encouraging, but we are well aware that much work remains to be done. The final part of the application describes an extensive action plan we will be working on through to the date of the resubmission in November 2028. But just for the moment, we are reflecting with a degree of pride on our collective efforts over the past many years.

“It is especially pleasing because the gold award recognises work done across the whole school, and in this sense speaks to the culture of the department as a whole.

“It has been a collective effort more broadly as well. We've relied upon help and support from within the University of Warwick, and our interactions with colleagues from different business schools have been invaluable.”

The Athena Swan Charter provides a framework around which academic departments confront persistent gender inequalities. For the award, a range of data are considered relating to how an institution recruits, supports, and progresses staff and students. Existing policies and practices are scrutinised, as are the results of a ‘culture survey’ completed by staff.

WBS has adopted a robust, transparent, and accountable process for gender equality and looked to address a range of structural inequalities that affect women, from tackling behaviours that detract from a safe and collegiate environment to mitigating the gendered impact of caring responsibilities and career breaks.

University of Warwick Provost Emma Flynn said: "A Gold Athena Swan Award is fantastic recognition for Warwick Business School and Warwick University of our commitment, now and in the future, to support and develop a diverse workforce. The award demonstrates our focus of bringing together varied minds to find solutions for the complex problems faced by the world today."

Read more about Warwick Business School's commitments to a more gender balanced future and supporting equality, diversity and inclusion.