Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Just another University of Greenwich blog
As the bombs fell on London during the Great War, two women kept a vigil of the night sky.
Fiammetta Wilson and Grace Cook observed shooting stars – the chunks of space rock that light up the sky as they plummet to Earth.
They kept up records of meteors in what was then very much a man’s world.
In 1916, the pair were among the first four women to be awarded fellowship of The Royal Astronomical Society – a milestone in the acceptance of women in science. More
11 February 2016 is the first International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
UNESCO’s message is clear – the new Agenda will not meet its promise without investing in women’s and girls’ empowerment through and in science.
More than ever today, the world needs science and science needs women. More
The scientist Mary Somerville will be the first woman other than a royal to appear on a Royal Bank of Scotland banknote – but only after a steward’s inquiry over an apparent attempt to rig the vote.
Some 4,100 people voted via Facebook for Somerville, whose academic writing played a pivotal role in the discovery of the planet Neptune, to appear on a new £10 note. More
The university has been ranked as one of the UK’s most gay-friendly workplaces in Stonewall Top 100 Employers, published today.
Greenwich is placed at 80th in this list of the nation’s best-performing employers, drawn from Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2016, an annual audit of workplace culture for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff. More
Oscars head Cheryl Boone Isaacs is taking action to “alter the make-up” of their membership, after Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith’s refusal to attend because of the mostly white nominees.
Boone Isaacs praised the “wonderful work” of the nominees but said she was “heartbroken” at the lack of diversity. More
More BME staff have been entering the UK academy but they remain under-represented at the top. What is being done about it? More
The gender pay gap and the impact upon women of a changing labour market will be discussed at a University of Greenwich seminar on Wednesday 20 January.
“While the gap between women’s and men’s pay has been narrowing, in the last few years there have signs that progress has slowed,” says Professor Sian Moore, Director of the university’s Work and Employment Research Unit, part of its Business School. “In particular, the gap in the public sector has increased for two years running.
“This seminar offers an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in equality issues to understand what is happening to the gender pay gap in a period of austerity, when we’re seeing changes to women’s employment and cuts in public sector jobs.”
The event is open to all and will feature talks by three experts from, respectively, the Office for National Statistics, the TUC and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. There will be the opportunity for those attending to ask questions.
Greenwich has been named as one of the “most international” universities on the planet by Times Higher Education magazine.
It is ranked among the 200 institutions with the most global outlook, recognising that Greenwich is an international player in terms of attracting staff, students and research collaborations from around the world.
Nearly 5,500 international and EU students from 176 countries choose to study at Greenwich, which is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for students from India and Nigeria.
Sport England says its This Girl Can campaign is “changing behaviour” a year on from its launch.
Independent research says 2.8 million women aged 14 to 40 who recognise the campaign say they have done some or more activity as a result. More
Women should be more visible across the curriculum, say campaigners who successfully fought plans to leave feminism out of A-level politics.
England’s Schools Minister Nick Gibb announced a change of heart after an outcry over the lack of female thinkers in the draft politics syllabus.
“We’ve seen the strength of feeling,” said Mr Gibb.
Science campaigner Jacquelyn Guderley said: “This should act as a springboard for more female role models.”
Ms Guderley, co-founder of the Stemettes group, which encourages girls into science, maths and engineering careers, said there should be more female representation “across the board, particularly in science, technology, engineering and maths”.
“You can’t be what you can’t see, which is why including varied female role models across all subjects is of crucial importance.” More
