ECU wins SAGE Cygnet Award for gender equity in STEMM.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) has solidified its status as a sector leader in gender equity, receiving a third SAGE Cygnet Award acknowledging the University's commitment to gender equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).
The University has been recognised nationally as a part of the international Athena Swan accreditation program, managed by the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Initiative, marking a significant milestone on its accreditation journey.
ECU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) and Athena Swan Lead, Professor Cobie Rudd said, "It's an honour to have received our third Cygnet Award".
"The work we do is about actively advancing gender equity and we are fully committed to increasing the representation of women in STEMM," Professor Rudd said.
"To achieve this Award, we exceeded our original targets for the School of Engineering, achieving an impressive 200% increase in female academics since 2017".
"Embracing diversity in STEMM not only fosters a richer tapestry of perspectives but also enhances the intellectual rigor of our academic community. By actively striving to increase the representation of women in STEM, ECU not only promotes equity but also unlocks untapped potential, propelling innovation and excellence in scientific discovery."
"ECU has not only recruited more women to the School of Engineering in the past 5 years, it also has ensured existing female academics from the School played a part in the decision-making process through involvement on the recruitment panels".
"The School has positioned itself well in striving towards a more gender-diverse working environment, within the University context and across the sector. We know there is a way to go in improving the number of females in engineering, given the systemic nature of barriers they face entering the workforce. ECU is firmly invested and committed to ensuring the changes we make are sustainable, and for the long-term," Professor Rudd said.
Decreasing Gender Disparity
SAGE is the only entity subscribing to the Athena Swan framework in Australia, providing a GEDI accreditation and awards program for those organisations that choose to participate.
As the only internationally recognised framework for GEDI, Cygnets are awarded to organisations that demonstrate they have achieved sufficient progress and impact in removing or reducing barriers to gender equality.
Five Cygnet Awards are required to be eligible to apply for Silver Institutional Award Accreditation status under the Athena Swan program. Institutions must implement actions designed to remove or reduce five key barriers to equitable attraction, retention or progression of staff in the seven years after being awarded the Bronze Institutional Award.
ECU's two previously successful Cygnet Award applications can be read here: Cygnet 1: Flexible Work and Cygnet 2: Women in STEMM.
SAGE CEO Dr Janin Bredehoeft said, "Congratulations to the team at ECU for their important work in reducing the gender disparities in the School of Engineering."
By tackling the barriers women faced in the hiring process they have made small but significant gains and surpassed their targets to reach 18% women staff in the School.
ECU has not only begun recruiting more women but are making concrete plans to ensure they are retained and promoted, showing that their goal is to embed sustainable change.
This wouldn't have been possible without an institutional commitment to analysing their own gender data and meaningful support from the university's senior leadership."
Professor Rudd concluded, "As a university, we are proud of the increased female representation within the School of Engineering. We will continue to listen to the feedback of our staff with our end goal being to not only see further improvement of women in the discipline, but to see them thrive through progression into higher academic levels."
