The University of Bath is committed to ensuring and promoting gender equality. The University’s plans for gender equality are embedded within a range of initiatives, reports and action plans in line with our mainstreamed approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Our gender equality plan is predominantly set out in our Athena Swan submissions. We align with the Horizon Europe Gender Equality Plan (GEP) requirements as follows:
Mandatory requirements for a GEP
Be a public document
The GEP should be a formal document signed by the top management and disseminated within the institution. It should demonstrate a commitment to gender equality, set clear goals and detailed actions and measures to achieve them.
Our Athena Swan application and action plan are available online. Department applications are signed by the Head of Department and are disseminated to all staff. The plans demonstrate a commitment to gender equality and set out clear goals and SMART action points, which include specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound actions.
Have dedicated resources
Resources for the design, implementation, and monitoring of GEPs may include funding for specific positions such as Equality Officers or Gender Equality Teams as well as earmarked working time for academic, management and administrative staff.
Each Department at the University has an Athena Swan/DSAT Committee embedded into the structure of the Department. Each Department has an Athena Swan lead whose role is included in the University's Workload allocation model.
Include arrangements for data collection and monitoring
GEPs must be evidence-based and founded on sex or gender-disaggregated baseline data collected across all staff categories. This data should inform the GEP’s objectives and targets, indicators, and ongoing evaluation of progress.
An annual report is provided to the Chairs of the Department Athena Swan Committees giving gender-disaggregated baseline data collected across all staff and student categories. This data is then used by Departmental Athena Swan Committee to identify issues and commit to appropriate actions over the next five years.
Be supported by training and capacity-building
Actions may include developing gender competence and tackling unconscious gender bias among staff, leaders and decision-makers, establishing working groups dedicated to specific topics, and raising awareness through workshops and communication activities.
Departmental ED&I Officers are members of the University's Equality and Diversity network, where new EDI training on unconscious bias, leadership and other topics are presented. The University ED&I team maintain EDI webpages for all staff and students, which includes self-learning training modules, workbooks, podcasts, toolkits and guidance, all available online.
In addition to these mandatory process-related requirements, the following 5 thematic areas are recommended for content:
work-life balance and organisational culture - This is covered in the Departmental Athena Swan application under 5.6 Organisation and culture
gender balance in leadership and decision-making - This is covered in the Departmental Athena Swan application under 5.6 Organisation and culture
gender equality in recruitment and career progression - This is covered in the Departmental Athena Swan application under 4.2 Academic and research staff data, 5.1 Key career transition points: academic staff and 5.3 Career development: academic staff
integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content - This is covered in the Departmental Athena Swan application under 5.6 Organisation and culture, and Further info section and the University’s Curriculum Transformation Project
measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment - This is covered by 'NeverOK' and now 'Be the Change' projects run by Student Services, and the Departmental Athena Swan application under 5.6 Organisation and culture