Athena SWAN

What is Athena SWAN?

Athena Swan is an internationally recognised accreditation for gender equity, diversity and inclusion in the higher education and research sector, aimed at improving gender equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. Originating in the UK in 2005 and piloted in Australia in 2015, the Australian framework has been tailored to our national context and is administered by Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE). 

Institutions commit to creating gender inclusive and diverse workplaces through support of ten key principles:

1. Ensure that gender equity, diversity and inclusion work is appropriately resourced, distributed, recognised, and rewarded.
2. Undertake transparent and rigorous self-assessment processes, analysing institutional structures, systems, and cultures to identify the barriers to attraction, retention and progression for staff and students, and thus to gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
3. Design initiatives based on institutional data, and national and global evidence of best practice.
4. Monitor, evaluate, and publicly report on progress made, challenges experienced, and impact achieved, to inform continuous improvement.
5. Actively incorporate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives to address the specific inequities and injustices experienced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff and students.
6. Consciously consider all genders, recognising that gender is not binary, and that trans and gender diverse people face specific inequities because of their gender identities.
7. Take an intersectional approach to advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion, recognising that people of any particular identity are not a homogeneous group.
8. Engage with those most impacted by inequitable practice to proactively redesign and reshape structures, systems and culture.
9. Increase the safety and wellbeing of staff and students by proactively and transparently preventing and responding to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and discrimination.
10. Embed change in institutional governance and accountability structures; actively and visibly champion and promote gender equity, diversity and inclusion in our Institutions, the Athena Swan community, and across the sector; and hold ourselves and other senior leaders accountable for driving sustainable transformational change.

What does Bronze accreditation mean?

Murdoch underwent a rigorous two-year assessment process to understand gender equity, diversity and inclusion at the university. This involved identifying structural, systemic and cultural barriers contributing to gender inequity, and developing an action plan to address processes, practices and university culture.

Within Australia, the Athena Swan Charter is used to address gender equity more broadly, not just the barriers to progression that affect women. 

What’s next for Murdoch?  

A refreshed Action Plan will be developed in 2025 to better align with the  EDI Sub-strategy and Athena Swan pathway to Silver Accreditation. 

Murdoch Athena SWAN contacts