We were awarded an Athena SWAN bronze award in May 2020, recognising our commitment to gender equality. This is a sub-component of our overarching aims to ensure our department is an inclusive and equitable environment for all.
Our Athena SWAN submission (click to open the PDF) includes a very detailed Action Plan for our work in this area for the coming years. This work is overseen by our Equity, Diversity and Belonging committee.
For more information about Athena SWAN or equality, diversity and belonging more broadly, please contact Professor Heath Rose (heath.rose@education.ox.ac.uk) or Dr Debbie Aitken (debbie.aitken@education.ox.ac.uk)
Ziauddin Yousafzai
Professor Arathi Sriprakash
Professor Caleb Gayle
Equity
Equity is about ensuring fair treatment and access to opportunities by recognising and addressing the unique challenges and barriers that individuals or groups may face. In our context, it means actively adapting support and resources to meet diverse needs, ensuring that every member of our community has the chance to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Diversity
Diversity refers to the rich variety of characteristics, experiences, and perspectives that each individual brings to our community. This includes, but is not limited to, differences in race, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, and neurodiversity. Embracing diversity enhances our collective creativity and innovation, and it strengthens our learning and working environments.
Belonging
Foundational to belonging, inclusion is the practice of actively creating environments in which all individuals feel respected, valued, and able to contribute fully. It involves fostering a culture where differences are celebrated, and every member is supported to participate and thrive. By promoting inclusion, we ensure that our educational and social spaces truly reflect our commitment to individual dignity and equal opportunities for everyone.
Belonging, however, goes beyond inclusion as recognition, and requires active and intentional acts of inclusion, so that everyone feels an integral and valued member of our community. Belonging is more than being made welcome in a community, but rather about feeling at home in a community. We aim to achieve a sense of belonging for all our staff and students, and their differing needs, identities, backgrounds and experiences.
These definitions align with our Department’s commitment to enhancing diversity and promoting equality, ensuring that all staff and students are provided with a supportive and empowering environment.
