What is this Athena Swan Charter? According to Athena Swann:

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research. Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, the Charter is now being used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Ah, that’s very helpful – they tell us what treacherous idiots they are right in the first paragraph. They used to campaign for women and now they know better, now they look beyond “just barriers to progression that affect women.” Not just women but ALL the genders. Stupid women, thinking they get to hog everything.

Considering sex and gender 

We recognise the evolving social and legal landscape regarding data monitoring and rights in relation to sex and gender. Like many organisations we are reviewing our guidance. We also work closely with the sector on the ongoing development of the charter through the Athena Swan Governance Committee. In response to the changing landscape in relation to sex and gender we will continue these efforts to ensure it is fit for purpose and inclusive. 

By which we mean, inclusive of people who are not women, because it would be wicked and exclusionary and not in sync with the changing landscape to let women hog everything.

They do talk about women though. Maybe they’ll still have to be punished.

We commit to advancing gender equality in academia, in particular, addressing the loss of women across the career pipeline and the absence of women from senior academic, professional and support roles.

We commit to addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional and support functions. In this we recognise disciplinary differences including:

the relative underrepresentation of women in senior roles in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL)

the particularly high loss rate of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM)

And so on. It’s not all about The New Genders, but the chipping away has begun. They are Reviewing their Guidance.