Operations

Gender Impact Plan

Through our engagement with Athena Swan, Queen Mary has developed a five-year Gender Impact Plan (GIP) from 2022 to 2027 that supports our institutional commitments and key performance indicators. The plan outlines our long-term vision for advancing gender equality across both staff and student experiences and how to sustain progress over the next five years. It builds on Queen Mary’s long-standing commitment to tackling gender inequalities and is designed to be ambitious, with our 2030 strategic vision in mind. 

 The 2025 progress update on our GIP provides a mid-point review (January 2025) of the plan’s implementation and demonstrates the positive impact made. We are proud to report that 67% of GIP actions have been achieved or are set to be achieved in line with the original timescales. We are also seeing continued high success rates for academic promotion for women, and in 2025 also for BAME staff, narrowing gender and ethnicity pay gaps. The University aims for 50:50 gender balance by 2030. As of 2025, female representation across junior, mid-level and senior staff either exceeds or puts us on track for our 2030 targets.  

Athena Swan  

Queen Mary became a signatory to the Athena SWAN Charter in 2005 and obtained its first Bronze award in 2008. The Charter is a framework developed for the higher education and research sectors to advance gender equality, particularly in academic and technical roles, by embedding inclusive working practices. The Charter uses a structured self-assessment approach wherein institutions such as Queen Mary can identify strengths, areas for improvement and implement targeted action plans to support these improvement goals. In 2017, the University became one of only a handful of institutions to be recognised with a Silver award, an achievement of which we are extremely proud. Across our Schools and Faculties, as well as the institution, we continue the work of embedding gender equality into all our activities and for all our staff and students. 

Equality and Diversity Steering Group (EDISG)

In 2018 the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) governance was restructured to help embed EDI throughout all structural levels of Queen Mary and to strengthen accountability of action plans and delivery against these plans. The new structure is designed around the EDISG. The group monitors institutional values, policy implementation and the progression of equality objectives, aligning with the University’s broader “Our Values in Action” framework. The EDISG works with the respective faculty-level and departmental-level EDI groups. They make recommendations to the EDISG on how university strategy, policy, process and practice should promote equality and diversity and oversee the development and implementation of policy and process at local level. 

EDI Publications 

Queen Mary’s EDI Annual Reports showcase our work across the University and faculties, helping us track and share progress towards our EDI objectives. We publish our EDI Annual Reports on our website, to ensure transparency and accessibility for all, including current and prospective staff and students. In keeping with our values, we were a pioneer in publishing our progress across all indicators, rather than just those required by regulators.  

Our 2024-25 EDI Action Plan, details the actions and initiative undertaken to embed EDI principles in our student services. Overall, EDI perception has improved by 4% to 54% favourable.  Targeted survey questions among staff and faculty show: ”Leadership actively supports gender equality” has improved from 60% to 65% favourable, “Perspectives like mine are included in decision-making" has improved from 36% to 41% and “Queen Mary has senior role models, with whom I can identify” from 16% to 25%.  

Access and Participation Plan 

Queen Mary is a sector leader in attracting students from groups typically under-represented in research-intensive universities. Of our domestic undergraduate students, 94% are from state schools, 73% are BAME, and 45% are first into higher education. We have the best record of all the Russell Group universities in England for recruiting undergraduate students from state schools and from lower-income families. In 2021, a Sutton Trust report named us as the best university for social mobility in the country. 

Our Access and Participation Plan outlines our approach to improve the equality of opportunities available  for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education. The Plan includes a full assessment of our performance, an overview of the measures in place and the targets we have set for improvement The 2020-2025 Report shows that 30% of Queen Mary home students come from households earning less than 15,000. Over 50% of our home undergraduate students are from within 15km of campus, mainly from East London.  

Ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed is built into our DNA.  

Dignity at Work 

Queen Mary is dedicated to maintaining an environment where all staff and students are treated with dignity and respect. To support this, Queen Mary takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of behaviour from staff, students or visitors that might violate the dignity of others. Our tailored Dignity at Work procedures for staff and general guidance provide clear guidance and support pathways for both staff and students. Both procedures are supplemented by our general Grievance Resolution procedure. 

Employee Assistance Programme

For those who require additional external support, the Employee Assistance Programme provides advice via a helpline. The EAP is a free, confidential support service provided to all staff, offering guidance on any issue, such as work-life balance, relationships, debt, childcare, anxiety and depression, bereavement and loss.   

Queen Mary as a Trans Ally 

Queen Mary strives to create a community where trans people are respected, supported, and able to be themselves. Our Trans Inclusion Statement of Commitment outlines the University’s approach to trans inclusion. It represents the synthesis of Queen Mary’s legal duties and the University’s Values (Inclusive, Proud, Ambitious, Collegial, Ethical) 

Our Being a Trans Ally leaflet provides more information regarding how Queen Mary defines trans and how the University recommends being a trans ally.  

Support for students who are parents

Queen Mary recognises the unique challenges faced by students with children. For our students, the Students with Children page details our support services, directing students to external government sites for welfare, childcare grants and allowances. It also links to external providers of childcare services for during studying.  

We offer parenting rooms on campus, allowing students to have a private comfortable space for feeding, expressing milk, and tending to their child’s needs. 

Maternity and Paternity Policies 

Queen Mary provides a variety of support for staff who are parents.  For staff who have just had a child, our Code of Practice details our parental leave and other family provisions. Our policy helps create a working culture in which caring and family responsibilities are recognised, ensuring staff feel supported in balancing professional and personal commitments.  

Queen Mary’s Family Friendly Policies  outlines the eligibility, notice requirements, and employee/manager responsibilities for maternity leave, ensuring that individuals can access their rights in a clear, consistent way. By providing transparent, structured guidance, the procedure supports employees to plan their leave with confidence.  

Parents and Carers Network 

Queen Mary’s Parents and Carers Network  is a staff-led network open to all employees who are balancing professional roles with caring responsibilities—whether for children of any age or for ill, elderly or disabled dependents. It offers peer-support and connection through a confidential space where parents and carers can share experiences, socialise, and challenge workplace practices that impact their responsibilities.  

The network also serves as a forum for staff to consult on policy development regarding childcare. The Network works, alongside the University’s EDI team, to influence policy, promote good practice for line-managers, and ensure that the needs of working parents and carers are represented at senior levels