{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T02:25:39Z","timestamp":1790216739451,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,16]],"date-time":"2021-11-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637020800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Commission","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["872113"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["872113"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Sociol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>In the past 2\u00a0decades, many Certification and Award schemes (CAS) related to gender equality, diversity and inclusion have emerged in the higher education, research and industry sectors. According to a recent report, there are as many as 113 CAS which have been identified across Europe and beyond. These CAS aim at addressing inequalities in relation to the grounds of sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and disability among others. The high number of CAS, and their continued growth, has taken place in parallel to the shift of policies and efforts from \u201cfixing individuals\u201d to \u201cfixing the system.\u201d In these schemes, gender equality is often understood as a structural, systemic challenge, with a recognition that advancing gender equality is complex and requires drivers and interventions at micro, meso and macro level. Studies focused on analysing and evaluating gender equality initiatives in higher education have been scarce, and often limited to specific schemes. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a better understanding of the CAS landscape through comparing two of the main gender equality schemes used by research-performing organisations in Europe Athena SWAN (in the UK) and Total E-Quality Award (in Germany). Based on qualitative interviews with stakeholders across Europe and document analysis, this paper focuses on strengths, challenges faced by and the impact of these CAS. This comparative exercise highlights particular learning points that can inform potential reviews of existing schemes and\/or the development of new schemes such as a Europe-wide scheme. The latter is the focus of a Horizon 2020 project entitled CASPER (Certification-Award Systems to Promote Gender Equality in Research), which aims at making recommendations to the European Commission as to the feasibility of a Europe-wide CAS for gender equality in research organisations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2021.784446","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,16]],"date-time":"2021-11-16T07:45:25Z","timestamp":1637048725000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Certifying Gender Equality in Research: Lessons Learnt From Athena SWAN and Total E-Quality Award Schemes"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Charikleia","family":"Tzanakou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kate","family":"Clayton-Hathway","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anne Laure","family":"Humbert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"590","DOI":"10.1080\/01419870701356015","article-title":"'You End up Doing the Document rather Than Doing the Doing': Diversity, Race equality and the Politics of Documentation","volume":"30","author":"Ahmed","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ethnic Racial Stud."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1177\/1350508407086583","article-title":"Mapping Academic Resistance in the Managerial University","volume":"15","author":"Anderson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Organization"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4159\/9780674545991","volume-title":"What Works","author":"Bohnet","year":"2016"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e012090","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-012090","article-title":"Gender Equity Programmes in Academic Medicine: a Realist Evaluation Approach to Athena SWAN Processes","volume":"6","author":"Caffrey","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1115","DOI":"10.1111\/gwao.12658","article-title":"Delivering Gender justice in Academia through Gender equality Plans? Normative and Practical Challenges","volume":"28","author":"Clavero","year":"2021","journal-title":"Gend. Work Organ."},{"key":"B6","first-page":"23","article-title":"Four Functions of International Accreditation: The Case of EAPAA and Public Administration in the Netherlands","volume-title":"Public Administration and Public Policy Degree Programmes in Europe: The Road from Bologna","author":"Daemen","year":"2008"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.1583431","volume-title":"Indicators as a Technology of Global Governance","author":"Davis","year":"2010"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/09589236.2021.1923463","article-title":"Navigating unChartered Waters: Anchoring Athena SWAN into Irish HEIs","author":"Drew","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Gend. Stud."},{"key":"B9","volume-title":"Gender equality in Academia and Research: GEAR Tool","year":"2016"},{"key":"B10","first-page":"392","article-title":"A Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth","volume-title":"Communication From the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM","year":"2012"},{"key":"B12","unstructured":"Horizon Europe. Gender equality : a Strengthened Commitment in Horizon Europe2021"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1093\/sp\/jxp015","article-title":"Women and Science: What's the Problem?","volume":"16","author":"Garforth","year":"2009","journal-title":"Soc. Polit."},{"key":"B14","unstructured":"An Impact Evaluation of the Athena SWAN Charter GravesA. RowellA. HunsickerE. 2019"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1111\/bjir.12252","article-title":"Positive Action towards Gender Equality: Evidence from the Athena SWAN Charter in UK Medical Schools","volume":"56","author":"Gregory-Smith","year":"2018","journal-title":"Br. J. Ind. Relations"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"pp3","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9299.1991.tb00779.x","article-title":"A New Public Management for All Seasons?","volume":"69","author":"Hood","year":"1991","journal-title":"Public Adm."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1186\/s12961-020-0527-x","article-title":"Understanding the Athena SWAN Award Scheme for Gender equality as a Complex Social Intervention in a Complex System: Analysis of Silver Award Action Plans in a Comparative European Perspective","volume":"18","author":"Kalpazidou Schmidt","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Res. Pol. Syst"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1093\/reseval\/rvx003","article-title":"Addressing Gender Inequality in Science: the Multifaceted challenge of Assessing Impact","volume":"26","author":"Kalpazidou Schmidt","year":"2017","journal-title":"Res. Eval."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1002\/cjas.106","article-title":"Gender Fatigue: The Ideological Dilemma of Gender Neutrality and Discrimination in Organizations","volume":"26","author":"Kelan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Can. J. Adm. Sci."},{"key":"B20","volume-title":"Scaling Improvement in STEM Learning Environments: The Strategic Role of a National Organization","author":"Kezar","year":"2018"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1353\/book.78724","volume-title":"Building Gender Equity in the Academy: Institutional Strategies for Change","author":"Laursen","year":"2020"},{"key":"B22","first-page":"1235","article-title":"For Slow Scholarship: A Feminist Politics of Resistance through Collective Action in the Neoliberal University","volume":"14","author":"Mountz","year":"2015","journal-title":"ACME: Int. J. Crit. Geographies"},{"key":"B23","unstructured":"Evaluating the Effectiveness and Impact of the Athena SWAN Charter MunirF. MasonC. McDermottH. MorrisJ. BagilholeB. NevillM. 2014"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5281\/zenodo.4561664","article-title":"State of the Art Analysis: Mapping the Awarding Certification Landscape in Higher Education and Research","author":"Nason","year":"2020","journal-title":"Zenodo"},{"key":"B25","first-page":"77","article-title":"New Public Management","volume-title":"New Public Management: Current Trends and Future Prospects","author":"Newman","year":"2005"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"575","DOI":"10.1111\/gwao.12594","article-title":"Context Matters: Problematizing the Policy\u2010practice Interface in the Enactment of Gender equality Action Plans in Universities","volume":"28","author":"N\u00ed Laoire","year":"2021","journal-title":"Gend. Work Organ."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.3390\/admsci10040098","article-title":"Multi-level State Interventions and Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions: The Irish Case","volume":"10","author":"O\u2019Connor","year":"2020","journal-title":"Administrative Sci."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1186\/s12961-017-0177-9","article-title":"Advancing Gender equality through the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science: an Exploratory Study of Women's and Men's Perceptions","volume":"15","author":"Ovseiko","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Res. Pol. Syst"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"m3975","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.m3975","article-title":"Effect of Athena SWAN Funding Incentives on Women's Research Leadership","volume":"371","author":"Ovseiko","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"527","DOI":"10.1108\/02656719710170747","article-title":"TQM in Higher Education \u2010 a Review","volume":"14","author":"Owlia","year":"1997","journal-title":"Int. J. Qual. Reliability Mgmt"},{"key":"B32","volume-title":"Certifying Equality? Critical Reflections on Athena SWAN and equality Accreditation","author":"Pearce","year":"2017"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)33213-6","article-title":"Athena SWAN and ADVANCE: Effectiveness and Lessons Learned","volume":"393","author":"Rosser","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.1177\/0306312710391494","article-title":"The Costs and Benefits of 'red Tape': Anti-bureaucratic Structure and Gender Inequity in a Science Research Organization","volume":"41","author":"Roth","year":"2011","journal-title":"Soc. Stud. Sci."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-0432.00165","article-title":"Gender and New Public Management: Reconstituting Academic Subjectivities","volume":"9","author":"Thomas","year":"2002","journal-title":"Gend. Work Organ."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586-019-01904-1","article-title":"Unintended Consequences of Gender-Equality Plans","volume":"570","author":"Tzanakou","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5281\/ZENODO.4428167","article-title":"Deliverable No 4.3: Key Prerequisites for a Europe-wide Gender equality Scheme","author":"Tzanakou","year":"2020"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1191","DOI":"10.1111\/gwao.12336","article-title":"Moderate Feminism within or against the Neoliberal University? the Example of Athena SWAN","volume":"26","author":"Tzanakou","year":"2019","journal-title":"Gend. Work Organ."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e032915","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-032915","article-title":"Athena SWAN and Gender Diversity: a UK-based Retrospective Cohort Study","volume":"10","author":"Xiao","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"pp867","DOI":"10.1080\/09540253.2015.1123229","article-title":"Gender equality in German Universities: Vernacularising the Battle for the Best Brains","volume":"28","author":"Zippel","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gend. Educ."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Sociology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fsoc.2021.784446\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,15]],"date-time":"2023-01-15T07:36:56Z","timestamp":1673768216000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fsoc.2021.784446\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,16]]},"references-count":38,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fsoc.2021.784446"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fsoc.2021.784446","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-7775"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-7775","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,16]]},"article-number":"784446"}}