Athena SWAN
At LSHTM, we fulfil our commitments to gender equality and meet the requirements of Horizon Europe’s Gender Equality Plan through our participation in Athena Swan, and broader Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion activities and initiatives.
Five focused and recommended areas:
- work-life balance and organisational culture
- gender balance in leadership
- gender equality in recruitment and career progression
- integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content
- measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment,
We progress work addressing the five thematic areas recommended by Horizon Europe through our Athena Swan action plan, our participation in the Research Excellence Framework and other broader related activities such as our work on Decolonising the Curriculum and our inclusive leadership training programmes.
We currently hold an institutional Athena Swan Bronze renewal award, valid until 2029.
Our current award was conferred following a single institutional application, consolidating efforts across faculties, and absorbing previous faculty-level awards.
Mandatory process-related requirements
Public document
LSHTM's Bronze Institutional Athena Swan submission is available online. The submission, including the action plan, has been endorsed by senior leaders across LSHTM and Director of the School. The action plan outlines specific goals and success measures for improving gender equality at LSHTM in a number of areas including: eliminating sexual and gender based harassment and bullying, inclusive organisational culture, and equitable recruitment, career development and progression for staff.
The Institutional Athena Swan Action Plan was presented to and approved by the School’s central Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee in November 2024.
Dedicated resource
Dedicated resource and expertise to promote gender equality at LSHTM is embedded across various levels at the School.
The Gender Equity Taskforce plays a key role in advancing gender equality within the institution. Dedicated financial resource within the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) budget is allocated to support this work, including ensuring taskforce co-chairs' contributions are recognised.
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team – this team oversees and implements gender equality related work.
- Gender Equity Taskforce – consists of Athena Swan and gender equality specialists from across LSHTM, responsible for overseeing the development of the Institutional Athena Swan submission and action plan. Gender Equity Taskforce members act as representatives of the group on various working groups and committees across the School, including the central EDI Committee.
- Central Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee – is a committee of Senate and has oversight of LSHTM’s strategic planning and implementation on all matters relating to equality, diversity and inclusion including gender equality.
- Faculty Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committees - are comprised of staff (academic and professional services) and research degree students from across each faculty’s departments. The Committees support and advise upon policies and practices promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within their respective faculties.
Data collection and monitoring
At LSHTM, sex and gender disaggregated data are collected on both staff and students as part of various internal processes, including recruitment, promotion, admissions, and awards. This data is reviewed and analysed as part of our EDI Annual Reports, fulfilling a statutory duty. The insights from this data inform the development of evidence-based actions within the Athena Swan submission and broader initiatives related to equity, diversity and inclusion at LSHTM. Key metrics are monitored and assessed annually to support ongoing progress toward gender equality.
Training
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training provided by the central EDI Team, is mandatory for all staff, to be completed within six months of joining the School and again every two years. This training includes explicit focus on the Equality Act 2010, protected characteristics, unconscious bias, allyship and intersectionality. Additionally, e-learning modules on consent and tackling harassment are available.
These training programmes aim to ensure that staff at all levels are equipped to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment, promoting a culture of dignity and respect.
Inclusive leadership training programmes tailored to support the progression of women are also run such as the School’s in-house Future Female Leaders Programme and the Aurora programme. LSHTM has offered places on the Aurora programme since its launch in 2013.
Working Families
We are a member of Working Families, a work-life balance charity seeking to remove the barriers that people with caring responsibilities face in the workplace.
Gender pay gap
The gender pay gap is the percentage difference between the average pay of men and women across the whole workforce. Read more on LSHTM's gender pay gap analysis.