Find out information about gender equality at Queen Mary University.
We at Queen Mary are working hard to address and improve gender equality in the Higher Education sector. Therefore, we’re recruiting women with the desire to develop into leadership roles and those seeking to inspire others.
The following development programmes and schemes focus specifically on aspiring leaders looking to their first leadership role, and developing leaders aiming to lead large and complex departments or services.
To help you decide which programme might be most suitable, you can use the following matrix for more detail on each programme and how to apply: Women's Development Initiatives Matrix 2022 [PDF 91KB]
Please be aware that places are limited and there is selection process to ensure rich discussions are taking place across each cohort.
QMUL participates in Aurora, a women-only leadership development programme aimed at addressing the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the Higher Education sector.
Springboard is a four month personal and professional development programme for women. It offers participants the opportunity to undertake a substantial review of their work and personal life, and take more control by making good quality decisions about the right way forward.
UNIque is designed specifically for women researchers at the early career stage.
You will step back to understand your career options in and out of the university sector, explore what is important to you so decisions are based on your values, get clear no-nonsense advice to help you get your next position, and learn tools to help you set goals and realise them.
The programme consists of five fortnightly webinars, self-guided video lessons and activities, and it runs collaboratively with Kings College London and Imperial College London giving you the opportunity to network with women researchers outside Queen Mary.
The South East Action Learning (SEAL) programme provides a space for women in leadership roles to voice their work and career challenges. A combination of development workshops and discussion groups help members to discover both the power and leadership qualities needed to take action to overcome them.
Following successful selection to the programme, you will be assigned to a specific action learning cohort. The participating HE institutions will host the action learning groups in turn, covering leadership development themes. We think carefully about the construction of each action learning cohort, striving for a balance of academic and professional services staff. Each cohort has a designated facilitator to guide the discussion and ensure confidentiality.
Alumni from any of our women development programmes are encouraged to stay connected and supported via the QMUL Women’s Career Development Community of Practice.
All those have taken part in our women development programmes will be automatically added but the Community of Practice (COP) is open to women throughout Queen Mary interested in being involved.
This has been set up to space for on-going learning, communicating upcoming opportunities and events and to connect with others who have taken part in the suite of Leadership Development Initiatives.
If you’d like to get involved with the community then please request to join the network
The Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN) provides women in our staff community with access to a wide range of events, recordings of webinars, and a host of resources.
WHEN hosts a network for all women, from all backgrounds, who work in any role in the higher education sector. We are all different, but we share a unique set of challenges. WHEN recognises and celebrates our differences.
WHEN is space that brings women together to share experiences and stories, exchange ideas and learn from and with our peers.
To access, you will need to sign up for Pink Membership (free) using your Queen Mary email: Become a member
For more information about the Athena SWAN - scheme to advance women career in sciences, engineering and medicine - please visit the dedicated pages on our site.
Leave and work life balance.Family friendly (nursery, childcare vouchers).
Staff and Students wishing to breastfeed/express milk at Queen Mary have access to appropriate facilities (on a booking basis). Please read the maternity and family leave guidelines. Contact Carol Malcolm if you have any queries.
The University recognises the physical and emotional stresses of undergoing fertility testing and treatment and wishes to support those staff who are going through the process. The University’s new Fertility Treatment Policy is intended to assist eligible staff members in the logistical and emotional aspects of undergoing treatment. Further details can be found in the guidelines Queen Mary Fertility Treatment Guidelines [PDF 377KB]
Our Menopause Policy Statement is designed to support staff members going through menopause, along with line managers who know or suspect that a member of their staff is experiencing menopause symptoms. For more information, read the Menopause Policy Statement
The Women in Science and Engineering Society was set up in 2008 as an informal group of discussion/networking for Queen Mary Students and Postdocs interested in the role of female participation in science and in medicine.
To join the network, please sign up on the SYMPA list on the ITS website.
The network is open to all and meets 2/3 times per year to discuss gender related issues in HSS.
The project sought to explore the challenges, dilemmas and opportunities for women from different generations and different communities entering higher education for the first time and to draw parallels between different groups of women for whom the entry into education was unexpected and in some sense disruptive of wider assumptions about the social and cultural role of women.