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Gender Equality Plan

Find out more about process-related mandatory requirements and recommended thematic areas addressed in our Gender Equality Plan.

The University of Sussex is committed to gender equality, exemplified in our institutional Advance HE Athena Swan Bronze award, our Inclusive Sussex strategy, further work from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team and from the broader community. This fulfils the European Commission’s requirements for a Gender Equality Plan.

Process-related mandatory requirements

Public document

The University of Sussex holds an Institutional Bronze Athena Swan award,  which is available to read online, as is our Athena Swan Action Plan. Our Inclusive Sussex strategy, launched in 2018,  was endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Culture, Equality and Inclusion. The strategy includes commitments to gender equality with a series of goals and measures, notably  an aspiration for all Schools to hold an Advance HE Athena Swan award by 2025 and for the University’s gender pay gap to be halved by 2024.

Dedicated resources

The University is committed to promoting gender equality and has dedicated resources to work towards that goal.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion, David Ruebain, has strategic responsibility for all aspects of culture, equality, and inclusion, including those relating to gender.

The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion team oversees, implements, and evaluates equality initiatives. The team includes a dedicated EDI consultant who leads the gender equality workstream and arrangements to consider intersectional issues in other areas of inclusion work.

The Gender Equality Steering Group (GESG) consists of key stakeholders across the University. The aim of the GESG is to promote and advance institutional gender equality. The group is committed to addressing the principles laid out in the Athena Swan Charter and is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the University’s Athena Swan action plan.

The University has several staff networks that provide support and information to their members. The networks include a Parent and Carers Network, and a Trans and Non-Binary Network. View information about staff networks.

School Self-Assessment Teams (SATs) are located within individual Schools and are responsible for school level submissions for Advance HE Athena Swan awards, including action plan implementation. 

Data collection and monitoring

In line with requirements under Equality Duty legislation, the University publishes statistics relating to the protected characteristics of its staff annually. View further information.

The University also publishes annual Pay Gap data for the gender pay gap and for the gender and ethnicity intersectional pay gap: View Pay Gap Reports and Equal Pay Reviews.

Sex and/or gender disaggregated data is collected on staff and students across other internal processes, including staff surveys and data collection across services including recruitment, promotions, admissions, and attainment. This data is analysed and interpreted within the Athena Swan process to create a data-driven and evidence-based action plan. Key metrics are reviewed annually.

The University publishes annual EDI reports, approved by Council.

Training

The Organisational Development team is part of the Human Resources department and supports the professional and personal development of all staff at the University. The programme of training and development links directly with the People Strategy and the overall University Strategy, fostering inclusivity and a culture of psychological safety and continuous improvement. The University offers several general e-learning modules, including mandatory courses on diversity in the workplace and unconscious bias, and others that address trans and non-binary awareness, domestic abuse, and micro-behaviours.

The University community frequently runs other awareness sessions as part of staff network events, School events or to mark national/ international awareness days. Often events focus on sex and/or gender and explore the intersections of protected groups. For example, for International Women’s Day 2024 Organisational Development worked alongside School leads to run a neurodiversity in women workshop.

Five recommended thematic areas addressed in our Gender Equality Plan

Work-life balance and organisational culture

In section 5.3 of the institutional Athena Swan submission, we explore our approach to flexible working and the impact of our Flexible Working Policy on the ability of staff to balance their work and home lives. We have also developed an inclusive Remote Working Policy to complement the Flexible Working Policy to allow for different working patterns to be explored.

Gender-balance in leadership

In section 5.1 of the institutional Athena Swan submission, we explore ways in which the University supports and advances women’s careers. The action plan commits us to various activities to increase the diversity of leadership, including actions around promotions, mentoring and protocols for the use of recruitment/executive search agencies for recruiting to senior roles.

Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

In section 5.1 of the institutional Athena Swan submission, we explore ways in which the University supports and advances women’s careers, including recruitment and career development. Commitments are also included in our Inclusive Sussex strategy to remove the obstacles faced by women at major points of career development and progression. The University is exploring the use of positive action initiatives to target underrepresentation where this is identified. It is also committed to developing career development programs, including apprenticeships and identity-based mentoring.

Integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national exercise in assessing the impact of research. This last exercise was undertaken in 2021. The data of submitted participants is analysed by equality protected groups, including sex and ethnicity. The findings are used to develop institutional responses and deliver the commitment for an inclusive researcher community.

Our Curriculum Reimagined project is being delivered over a three year period between 2023-2026.The project comprises an institutional review of our educational offer. This includes reviewing the teaching content and developing structures that will enable an inclusive framework that improves outcomes for all. View more information about Curriculum Reimagined.

Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment

Section 5.4 of our Athena Swan submission explores our organisational culture, including an overview of the University’s work on the prevention of bullying and harassment (including sexual misconduct). We have several key initiatives, including a revised Dignity, Respect and Inclusion Policy, a Definitions of Violence Policy, use of a Report and Support tool for staff and students, oversight of Report and Support data by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality, and Inclusion to identify themes and agree actions, and annual reporting on dignity and respect to Council. We also commit to ongoing monitoring and action.