Gender Equality Plan

LSBU is committed to gender equality as evidenced in the actions and goals set out in its Bronze Institutional Athena SWAN submission and its broader equality, diversity and inclusion work. Our achievements to date include:

• Since 2009, LSBU’s gender pay gap has steadily reduced from 13.25% (mean) to today’s figures of 6.05% (mean) and 5.3% (median). This is significantly lower than the higher education sector (16.4 median) and than across the UK industry (15.4 median) and we have targeted actions to work towards closing them over the coming year
• Our Gender Equality Network continues to hold a number of’ Role Model Conversations’ as lunch time series where staff can learn from an internal role model;
• Our Gender Equality Network also host Let’s Talk sessions, the last two being on sexual violence and the effects of the pandemic on women;

LSBU meets the requirements of the Horizon Europe Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in the following mandatory and recommended areas:

Mandatory Process-Related Requirements

Public Document

• LSBU’s Bronze Institutional Athena SWAN submission is available on our website. The submission and associated action plan have been endorsed by senior leaders across LSBU, setting out specific goals and measures of success for gender equality for the period 2020 to 2025.

Dedicated Resource

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Team– within this team the Athena SWAN Manager oversees and implements gender equality related work.
• Athena SWAN Leads Team– consists of Athena SWAN leads from all the schools in LSBU offering central support submitting the Athena SWAN application.
• Institutional Self-Assessment Team
• School Self-Assessment Teams (SATs) – SATs are located within schools and create local Athena SWAN submissions. Currently there are seven SATs who are working together to achieve Athena Swan departmental awards.

Data Collection

Sex and/or gender disaggregated data is collected on staff and students across many internal processes, such as recruitment, promotion, admissions, and awards. This data is analysed and interpreted within the Athena SWAN process to create a data-driven and evidence-based action plan.  It is also contained within the annual EDI report.

Training

Organisational Development and EDI, within People and Organisational Development, leads the institutional provision of training and staff development to redress inequalities, including gender, race and intersectionality.

Specific programmes, such as Aurora and Diversifying Leadership, support the progression of women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and other minoritised groups. These programmes run alongside positive action programmes.  Additionally, training to support all staff is offered, differentiated by levels of responsibility, staff groups and specific staff life-cycle interventions (recruitment, induction, appraisal).

Training run by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team addresses anti-racism and LGBT+ topics.

Online equality training is available for staff to complete as part of their induction or when taking on specific roles, such as recruitment or management.

Five Recommended Content-Related Areas

Work-life balance

We have made a significant effort over the last few years to support employees in achieving a healthy work life balance. Policies and procedures are in place providing a framework to ensure legislative compliance and adherence to our sector’s best practices. The data in figure 5.5.2 of our Athena SWAN submission demonstrates a high return rate indicating new mums feel confident being part of the working environment due to our culture and flexibility.

Gender in leadership

Our Athena SWAN submission shows in 2017/18, women held 48% of Directorates’ posts within Professional Services Groups (PSGs) at LSBU. Gender balance has been relatively consistent from 2018 to 2020 although noticeable disparity occurred at Grade 11. A targeted recruitment campaign has resulted in gender parity in the last two years.

Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

Figure 5.3.18 of our Athena Swan submission shows that appraisal completion rates ranged between 85-95% over the period 2015/16 to 2017/18 . As such, we are confident that appraisal completion rates closely match the staff gender split and have actioned to analyse training and appraisal data in year to identify any gender differences in uptake and satisfaction to enable more targeted communications and continuous course redevelopment.

Integration of gender into research and teaching

By 2025 our goal is for our research-active staff demographics to be gender balanced and ethnically representative. Our priority is to engage with the Race, Gender and Sexualities Research Group in the assessment of the inclusivity of the research training provision, especially with respect to intersectionality.

Measures against gender-based violence

In section 5.6 of our Athena SWAN submission the data shows in 2018, 17% of females believed they had witnessed bullying and harassment. ‘Overall’ bullying and harassment remained at 18%. LSBU were actioned to set up workshops for staff regarding harassment and bullying and ensure 70% attendance of LSBU Managers by Summer 2023.