Physics recognised for reducing gender inequality
Posted on 21 April 2010
The IOP’s Juno Code of Practice seeks to redress under-representation of women at the highest level of physics academia in the UK and Ireland.
York, along with the University of Glasgow and Royal Holloway, University of London, has now been awarded the status of Juno Practitioner, a significant step towards becoming fully-fledged Juno Champions.
We are delighted to see the good practice in our own Department recognised
Dr Irene D'Amico
While approximately 20 per cent of England’s physics undergraduates and lecturers are female, just five per cent of professors are. The Juno Practitioner level was designed to reward progress made by departments towards ensuring equal opportunity to all – to be seen as a staging post towards becoming a Juno Champion.
Jennifer Dyer, Diversity Programme Leader at IOP, said: “We are delighted to recognise and reward physics departments on their journeys towards becoming Champions. Embedding the Juno principles across the department will have a positive impact on the working lives of all staff.
“Examples of change in working practice that have been proven to reduce gender inequality, like increasing the transparency of procedures involved in promotion, are the sort of things that departments must do to gain recognition. All the departments involved have found that frank and open discussions about gender issues in the workplace have led to a happier workforce.”
Dr Irene D’Amico, the Juno lead for the Department of Physics at York, said: “I think that the process leading to the Juno Practitioner Award has substantially deepened our understanding of the complex issues behind the under-representation of women in physics. We are delighted to see the good practice in our own Department recognised and we look forward to improving on it further following the critical analysis we made while working toward the award.”
Notes to editors:
- The Institute of Physics (IOP)’s Juno Code of Practice was developed in response to a recommendation of the International Perceptions of UK Research in Physics and Astronomy report that a special focus to attract and retain women in physics is needed. The Code is based on best practice identified from IOP’s “Women in University Physics Departments: a Site Visit Scheme”, which ran from 2003 to 2005. It sets out practical ideas for actions that departments can take to address the under-representation of women in university physics and emphasises the need for dialogue, transparency and openness. There are three levels of engagement with the Code. As a Supporter, physics departments endorse the five principles set out in the Code of Practice. Practitioner status requires the department to demonstrate that its Juno journey is well underway and an initial evidence-based action plan demonstrating how the department aims to achieve Champion status is created. As a Champion, physics departments are confirmed to have met the five principles set out. There are now two Champion departments – at Imperial College and University of Warwick -- three Practitioners and 24 Supporters. For further information, go to http://www.iop.org/activity/diversity/initiatives/juno/page_38467.html.
- The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of more than 36 000 and is a leading communicator of physics-related science to all audiences, from specialists through to government and the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.
- Further information about the Department of Physics at the University of York is available at http://www.york.ac.uk/physics.
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