ECU lead for Athena Swan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) Professor Cobie Rudd and Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman.
"Another step in the right direction": Edith Cowan University is now eligible to apply for Silver accreditation after earning two more Cygnet Awards for growing its female professorial research cohort and driving cultural and linguistic diversity at the leadership level.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) has again been recognised as a national leader in gender equity.
Following strict benchmarking and peer review by Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE), ECU was the very first institution in Australia to achieve a Cygnet Award in August 2022 and now has achieved all required five Cygnet awards from SAGE – the highest number available.
The awards measure and validate efforts by institutions to reduce and remove barriers to gender equity, diversity and inclusion. ECU is the first institution in WA to reach this milestone.
ECU's lead for Athena Swan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) Professor Cobie Rudd, said she was thrilled ECU starts 2024 on track to an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award.
"We have been working towards becoming a better institution for our staff, current and future students and industry partners through delivering a diverse and inclusive workforce and environment," she said.
"We were proud to be among the first 15 Australian institutions to receive the Bronze Award in 2018 under the Athena Swan Charter. As we keep our aim on achieving Silver accreditation, we hope this latest recognition demonstrates that our commitment to gender equity is making a difference with respect to removing barriers and helping underrepresented groups to attain their goals."
SAGE Chair and WA gender equity advocate Libby Lyons congratulated the University on reaching this milestone.
"It's fabulous to see Edith Cowan University leading the way towards gender equity in WA," said Ms Lyons. "These five Cygnet Awards recognise the strength of commitment and energy that ECU's leadership has shown throughout their journey with SAGE," she said.
"I have no doubt they will continue to pursue a very high standard of workplace equity, diversity and inclusion, and an environment where everyone can thrive."
The University has been recognised for initiatives to:
- Progress Flexible Working Arrangements
- Redress inadequate support systems inhibiting the promotion of women in STEM(M)
- Decrease gender disparity in the School of Engineering
- Recruit females into professorial research roles at ECU
- Address diversity in the School of Nursing and Midwifery
"We've been actively identifying, removing and reducing the attitudinal, behavioural, structural, systemic and cultural barriers that impede the attraction, retention and progression of staff and students who face inequities since we began the Athena Swan journey," Professor Rudd explained.
We're learning more about what does and doesn't work, each day; what we have done to date will guide what we do going forward.
About the SAGE Cygnet Awards
SAGE Cygnet Awards are earned by organisations that demonstrate they have made sufficient progress and impact in removing or reducing a key barrier to gender equity.
Once an organisation has successfully achieved five SAGE Cygnet Awards, they are eligible to apply for an Athena Swan Silver Award – an award that recognises and rewards progressing organisational maturity in gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) is the only organisation in Australia that administers the internationally recognised Athena Swan accreditation framework for gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
