Category Archives: Equality

Gender Pay Gaps: Getting Worse

Posted on 10 April 2025 by Athene Donald

This is the season when all larger employers have had to report their gender pay gap. Is it good news? No, things appear to be going backwards. “Enduring gender pay disparities in Whitehall reflect low female representation in senior roles … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Fiona Erskine, parental leave, Science Culture, Shima Barakat, UKRI | Comments Off on Gender Pay Gaps: Getting Worse

Another Year, Another IWD: What’s Changed?

Posted on 8 March 2025 by Athene Donald

Every year International Women’s Day sparks a momentary bout of reflection about the state of women in our society. The  House of Lords has an annual debate, for instance, this year about women in STEM.  Social media will showcase many … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Barbara Castle, EPSRC, Equal Pay Act, Equality, gender pay gap, Women in science | Comments Off on Another Year, Another IWD: What’s Changed?

The Need to Join the Dots

Posted on 2 February 2025 by Athene Donald

Last week, I attended an event organised by The Productivity Institute and, more locally, the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, as part of National Productivity Week. The meeting’s theme was Innovation and Infrastructure in the East. Note, despite the recent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, appraisal, ASSET 2010, Athena Forum, Austrian science, book review, careers, education, Equality, Evelyn Fox Keller, Further Education, gender, growth, natural history, NEETs, Opportunity Mission, Oxford-Cambridge Corridor, People, professional training, promotion, Women's Issues | Comments Off on The Need to Join the Dots

Invest in Women: Venture Capitalists and Female Entrepreneurs

Posted on 25 November 2024 by Athene Donald

Back in 2019, The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship was published, spelling out just how bad the environment was for would-be female entrepreneurs. She was blunt in the opening words of her introduction “I firmly believe that the disparity … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, Alison Rose, appraisal, ASSET 2010, Athena Forum, Austrian science, book review, careers, Equality, Evelyn Fox Keller, femtech, gender, History of Science, innovation, Invest in Women Taskforce, professional training, promotion, Science Funding, Women's Issues | Comments Off on Invest in Women: Venture Capitalists and Female Entrepreneurs

The Dangers of Brilliance

Posted on 10 November 2024 by Athene Donald

As the detailed criteria of REF2029 are being worked through, the issue over the research culture part remains unclear. There are those who think research culture is an irrelevance in the pursuit of excellence, that it is a touchy-feely kind … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in economics, education, environment, Equality, philosophy, Science Culture, smart | Comments Off on The Dangers of Brilliance

Mary Wollstonecraft’s Wisdom

Posted on 24 October 2024 by Athene Donald

I came to Mary Wollstonecraft late, as it were, not even having come across her name until relatively recently. Perhaps that is a shameful admission, but I think she has become much more visible of late, not least due to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Equality, retirement, roles, skills | Comments Off on Mary Wollstonecraft’s Wisdom

Does Working from Home make you more Productive?

Posted on 26 August 2024 by Athene Donald

Does working from home (and hybrid working) improve productivity or the opposite? Two recent reports have come to slightly different conclusions, and I suspect this is not surprising because the answer almost certainly is ‘it depends’. Clearly if you are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Equality, hybrid, job satifsfaction, mentoring, retention | Comments Off on Does Working from Home make you more Productive?

Educational Disadvantage

Posted on 1 September 2023 by Athene Donald

With many schools in England apparently in danger of crumbling around or upon pupils, the start of the new school year offers the potential, once again, of being disrupted for thousands of pupils. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, generati… Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, education, Equality, pandemic, reading | Comments Off on Educational Disadvantage

What Should I Say to my Kids?

Posted on 4 June 2023 by Athene Donald

As well as attending the Hay Literary Festival, I’ve been involved with a number of interviews and podcasts over the last couple of weeks relating to the publication of my book Not Just for the Boys: Why we need more … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in education, Equality, Hay Festival, Maths, parents, School, Women in science | Comments Off on What Should I Say to my Kids?

Waiting for Publication

Posted on 16 April 2023 by Athene Donald

As I get my hands on the first copies of my new book Not Just for the Boys: Why we need more women in science (publication date May 11th), and prepare for my first talk specifically about the book on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Diane Coyle, editing, Equality, Hannah Devlin, Latha Menon, Lisa Jardine-Wright, Not just for the boys, Paul Walton, podcasts, Women in science, Writing | Comments Off on Waiting for Publication