Progressing Gender Equality as a Faculty EDI Lead
Professor Claudia Garetto
Please outline the work you lead and how it relates to progressing gender equality
Women academics remain a minority in Science and Engineering, with three out of five Schools in the Faculty having a female academic population below 20%. As one of only two women professors in mathematics at Queen Mary, I have personally experienced the transformative power of strong EDI policies in the workplace. I understand the challenges of addressing non-inclusive behaviour and recognise the importance of working with leadership to drive meaningful change.
As Faculty EDI Lead, my goal is to amplify the voices of women in S&E and foster an environment where they feel valued, supported, and empowered to progress in their careers. In collaboration with School EDI Leads and the Faculty leadership team, I am working towards standardised policies across all five Schools to attract and retain more female academics.
To cultivate a sense of community, I organise various EDI events, such as the recent IWD25, and ensure that female success stories are highlighted on our Faculty Research webpage.
For more information, visit: Faculty Research Page
What has inspired and motivated you to progress this work?
My personal experience as a female academic has deeply inspired me, particularly as I understand how challenging it can be to balance a career with caring responsibilities. When I joined QMUL, I already had experience leading EDI initiatives at the departmental and school levels. However, I had never worked in such a diverse environment—one where there is a collective commitment to enhancing inclusivity in the curriculum, providing students with relatable role models, and ensuring that everyone feels welcome.
I immediately recognised that QMUL is not just an institution that talks about EDI—it is a place where we actively make EDI happen.
How do you hope that this work will make a difference to promote gender equality and have you seen any impact so far?
I have seen strategic appointments within the Faculty positively impact gender balance, with new female hires and more women in leadership positions. In the latest round of S&E strategic hires, significant effort was made to reach out to potential candidates and encourage outstanding female academics to apply. Sometimes, a friendly email can make all the difference!
In my view, meaningful change happens through a collegial approach—not just the actions of one individual, but the collective efforts of a community. This is what I strive to achieve by working closely with the Faculty Research Leadership team and the Schools Leadership teams. I am confident that, in time, this collaborative approach will yield positive results.
What did you enjoy most about this piece of work and do you have any plans going forward?
The part of my role I enjoy most is discovering the great work already happening at the School level and connecting people across different Schools. As a people person, I truly value this aspect of my job. I am truly grateful for the inspiring conversations with our diverse community of PhD students that have been the motor of many projects, as Diversifying the Curriculum in Maths and in the Biological and Behavioural Sciences and the video campaign A Mathematician like Me.
Looking ahead, my goal is to further strengthen a Faculty-wide approach to EDI and, ultimately, achieve recognition through an Athena Swan Faculty award.
Please share any publications or resources from your work that would like to highlight
https://www.seresearch.qmul.ac.uk/pce/
https://www.seresearch.qmul.ac.uk/pce/support/
https://www.seresearch.qmul.ac.uk/pce/ediresources/