Department of Architecture achieves Athena SWAN Bronze Award

The Department of Architecture has been successful in achieving the Athena SWAN Bronze Award from the Equality Challenge Unit. It recognises the Department’s commitment and advancement on gender equality, including representation, progression of students into academia, career journey and working environment for all staff.

The Award submission was prepared using the new Athena SWAN criteria by a team of staff and students under the leadership of Dr Cristina González-Longo and the guidance of Annie McLaughlin, the University Gender Equality Officer.

The full application document showing the criteria that is applied can be dowloaded as a pdf; Athena Swan Bronze Award application Architecture. There was a 60 per cent success rate for applicants using these new expanded criteria, which includes gender equality for professional and support staff, as well as academic staff.

We are really proud to have received the Athena SWAN Bronze Award and delighted to be part of this group of universities, research institutes and departments committed to tackling gender inequality in higher education. Both our staff and students are committed to continue working towards the advancement on gender equality at all levels. The challenge in the architecture profession is that the number of women decreases as they move up the career ladder. We need to address this issue and help to empower our female students to progress in the profession.

Dr Cristina González-Longo RIBA SCA RIAS FHEA FRSA
Convenor of the of Athena SWAN self-assessment team


The award will be presented at a ceremony at the University of Liverpool on 12th December 2016.

Further information on the Athena SWAN Charter ten key principles.