Queen’s University Belfast signed up to the Advance HE Race Equality Charter (REC) in 2020 and we are proud to be one of more than eighty members of REC.

The Charter covers: academic staff; professional services staff; student progression and attainment; diversity in the curriculum.

In October 2020 the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ian Greer, committed Queen’s to take ‘rigorous institutional action’ in "ensuring diversity" as well as BAME staff and student progression. Moreover, Queen’s has recently applied for a Race Equality Charter Award, the fundamental principle of which is that the  "UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords".

The School of HAPP at Queen’s takes seriously these commitments. In the last few years, we have a designed a compulsory “History of Black Lives Matters Course” for our history undergraduates. We also have led active bystander training sessions where we work with students based in HAPP to make the campus an anti-racist and anti-sexist environment. This is an ongoing process. 

If students are facing or witnessing any sexism or racism at Queen’s please get in touch with Dr Elodie Fabre (e.fabre@qub.ac.uk), Professor Sinéad O’Sullivan (s.osullivan@qub.ac.uk) (HAPP's Gender Equality SWAN Lead Champions), or Dr Ashok Malhotra (A.Malhotra@qub.ac.uk)  (HAPP's  Race Equality Champion).

Part of the application process involved the creation of an action plan which will shape the School's work over the next five years. 

The action plan will see the School work to further foster a culture of respect and gender equality by improving students' awareness of the work of the School's SWAN team, involving students more in SWAN activities, and raising students' awareness of the university's policies on harassment and bullying. For staff, this culture will be improved via a better gender balance, achieved by encouraging the recruitment and progression of female academics, as well as by promoting female role models and facilitating a culture in which staff with caring responsibilities can thrive. Gender culture surveys of staff and students are also a required part of the process and act as a barometer of gender inclusivity in the School. 

The application showed good evidence of moves towards gender equality in HAPP. For example, the share of female students has increased at all levels of studies since 2016; female students now comprise a small majority at undergraduate, PGT and PGR levels. Academic staff in the School are 38% female and 62% male; this represents a 6-point increase in female staff from 2016. However, there is still work to do. Gender gaps remain in the student bodies of some disciplines and in the profile of senior academic staff.

You might ask, why does gender equality matter? HAPP's philosophy emphasises that equality and diversity are relevant to both staff and students and impact not only how the School supports our community but also what happens in the classroom, in the curriculum, in reading lists, and in class discussions. The attainment of gender equality will allow the School to reach its full potential, eradicate the gender pay gap, remove the obstacles faced at the major points of career development and progression and ensure that all in our academic community are treated equally and with respect. 

“Athena Swan recognition in the school of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics is vitally important for us and we will ensure that we take forward our ambitious action plan over the next 5 year period. The award is recognition of the tremendous work our Athena Swan team do in the school and the school’s commitment to its goals." 

Prof Alister Miskimmon, Head of School

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Politics PhD student, Oliver Donnelly, was awarded second place in the University's Athena SWAN student poster competition in the PGR category and Gloria Adichie on the MA in Conflict Transformation came in second place for PGT.

"There were lots of fantastic entries reflective of women across the globe, some in the public eye and those closer to home. It was a wonderful and poignant reminder that inspirational women can be found everywhere. The judges’ choice of winners and runners-up exhibited strong compositions, were extremely well executed, and presented in unique styles. Thank you to everyone for taking part and getting involved and showcasing such diverse and incredible women."

Yassin Brunger, Joe Butterfield, Erin Davidson & Aaron Maule
Judging Panel

Full details of the competition are here on the Queen's University Athena SWAN website

The History Research Seminars, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, in collaboration with HAPP Athena SWAN celebrate International Women's Day 2021.

To register for the event, view full details in the event listing: 

History Research Seminar Friday 5 March 2021

Academic colleagues on a teaching and research contract in the School of HAPP are entitled to a teaching-free semester upon their return from maternity leave, in line with Queen’s University’s SWAN agenda.  Between 2016 and 2020, seven female colleagues availed of this support.  

'Having no teaching meant that I didn’t have to spend valuable maternity time working on teaching preparation. This made my decision to go back to work much less stressful. During the semester, I designed a new international module for which I won competitive funding from the Faculty. Moreover, I was able to focus on my research. I also had the time and headspace to apply for a promotion to Senior Lecturer. Had I not had the time, I’m not confident that I would have gone for the promotion this time, which would have obviously had some mid- and long-term effects on my career. I consider the teaching-free semester an extremely important provision by the School that in my case played a catalysing role in my career progression'. Evropi Chatzipanagiotidou, Senior Lecturer, Anthropology

‘immensely helpful in getting me back into…research. I say helpful, but honestly, I feel like it was almost necessary for me to have that relatively uninterrupted time to properly re-engage with the research side of my work. …The SWAN semester made it possible to get…[a] paper to the level it needed to be accepted for…[the] highest profile journal…– so it is important for my career…[and] research and write a short paper for a collection…and progress…initial work on a grant proposal’. Sparky Booker, Lecturer, History

'invaluable…to catch up on archival research…and writing…[It] also enabled me to refresh my module reading lists, familiarise myself with new literature published during my leave, and absorb new school policies relating to students. This would have been impossible had I returned to the classroom immediately on return from maternity leave. The school's implementation of the teaching-free semester was also reassuring because it indicated recognition of the physical, mental and psychological effects of pregnancy, childbirth and new-born childcare.'

'I was generously offered funding from the SWAN committee. The application was very straightforward, and the funding was very helpful, particularly after my viva. After completing your PhD this kind of funding helps make you feel fully supported by the institution to further your academic career in a transitional period of a student's life.'

Irish journalist and broadcaster Mary Kenny delivered a talk at the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics on 6 March 2020 to mark Internaional Women's Day.

Mary Kenny worked as a reporter, feature writer and European Correspondent on the London Evening Standard from 1966-69. She was Woman’s Editor, at the Irish Press, Dublin from 1969-71 and a freelance writer and columnist thereafter with the Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Times, and many other newspapers and weeklies. She has been a panellist on Question Time and Any Questions and The Late Late Show (Dublin), as well as a presenter and contributor to radio and TV documentaries. She is a founder member Irish Women’s Liberation Movement in 1970. In 2010-12 she was Master of The Keys in the Guild of Catholic Writers.

Mary’s books include the hugely influential Goodbye to Catholic Ireland: a social history published in  1997; Death by Heroin, Recovery by Hope: A Family Tragedy (2001); Germany Calling – a Personal Biography of William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw (2003), reprinted 2004. Crown & Shamrock – Love and Hate between Ireland and the British Monarchy (2009); Something of Myself and Others (2013); A Day at a Time – a  book of thoughts and reflections (2016) and Am I a Feminist? Are You? (2019). Also a playwright, Mary’s works include,  ‘Allegiance: Winston Churchill and Michael Collins 1921-2’ performed in Edinburgh in 2006 with Mel Smith and Michael Fassbender; ‘A State of Emergency’ – a drama set in neutral Ireland, published in Dublin in 2010; ‘In the Light of Eva’s Shadow’, on RTE Radio May 2017; ‘Dearest Old Darling’ – a chamber piece drawn on the prison letters of Constance Markievicz (2018-2019), performed in Ireland and England, with Jeananne Crowley.

Mary is currently working on a new book called ‘Why Ireland Was Catholic’, exploring culture, folklore, society and values in an Ireland that is now disappearing. She continues to as a work as a journalist.

The HAPP SWAN SAT committee funded a Mental Health workshop delivered by Aware NI for HAPP Professional Support Staff on 6 March 2019.  

The SWAN Charter applies to all staff and students in the School. The Charter has ten principles that are adopted by the School relating to the promotion of gender equality.

View the School Charter 

In 2019 the School launched its' SWAN Grant Support Semester, to support HAPP teaching and research staff apply for research grants.  Dr Laura Pfuntner received SWAN-funded support.