Royal Holloway is working to ensure that people of all genders are treated fairly and equitably. We are committed to tackling gender inequality in all its forms, including through addressing intersections of disadvantage.

A key framework we use to advance gender equality is Advance HE’s Athena Swan Charter. At present, Royal Holloway holds an institutional Athena Swan Silver award, with three departments holding Silver awards (Geography, Psychology and Physics), four departments with Bronze awards (Computer Science, Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Mathematics/Information Security) and our School of Business and Management holding a Bronze award.

A selection of Gender Equality highlights at Royal Holloway include:

• Royal Holloway Gender Institute, a hub for study, teaching, learning and activism around gender and sexuality
• White Ribbon
• Free period products
• Pride Progress Lanyards
• Pronoun badges scheme
• Transitioning at Work Policy and guidance
• Gender identity awareness training
• Gender-neutral toilets
• Peri/menopause hub, workshops and network
• Parents/carers network and resources
• Royal Holloway Women’s Network
• Report and support process for students for misconduct complaints
• New mentoring and coaching schemes
• Revised processes, including academic promotion, and recruitment amongst others
• Dedicated feeding/expressing room
• Consent Matters online course for students
• Training resources, including micro-learning resources (e.g. on microaggressions)

We are committed to further enhancing our culture and removing barriers, including through addressing our gender pay gap, increasing representation of women professors across the University, and supporting development and progression for our professional services colleagues and our early career researchers amongst other activities.

Note: Royal Holloway recognises that race terminology continues to be a contentious and fast-moving issue. We currently use the term ‘Black and global majority’ following thorough consultation with our networks and colleagues with ‘lived experience’. However, we are aware of the limitations of this term and try wherever possible to put information in context and disaggregate the data where possible.

Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC) provides institutions with a framework they can use to undergo a process of self-reflection and identify institutional and cultural barriers which may hinder the representation and success of Black and global majority colleagues and students.

Royal Holloway was one of the first 8 institutions to successfully achieve a bronze level award in the 2015 pilot round of the REC. Following the renewal of our Bronze award in February 2019, we are currently working towards a Silver submission in November 2024. 

We are committed to addressing racism and creating a culture where racist thinking and practices are actively challenged and removed and were every one of us feels genuinely included. To this end, we are developing our Royal Holloway Anti-Racism Strategy as a vehicle for true change.

You can read Royal Holloway's February 2019 REC submission here.

A selection of Race Equality initiatives include:

• Race equity awareness training
• Conversations About Race initiative in collaboration with Citizens UK
• Black and global Majority staff network
• Support for the London Higher Global Majority Mentoring Programme
• Black Cultural Hotspots Guide for our students and colleagues, celebrating and highlighting all the vibrant culture and contributions of the Black community within the local area of our University
• Celebrations, talks and workshops, including on racism, decolonisation and intersectional experiences

One of our six EDI Guiding Principles within our EDI Framework 2023-2028 is 'Inclusion ‘by design’, with the University establishing equity and inclusion as central to planning, practices, processes, communications and behaviour.

In December 2023 Royal Holloway became a Disability Confident Leader. This means that we play a leading role in changing attitudes towards disability. We are committed to continuing to recruit, retain, and support disabled students and staff. 

A selection of Disability Equality initiatives include:

• Disability and Mental Health staff network
• Disability ‘buddies’
• Accessibility and Inclusion Hub
• Sighted Guide training sessions
• Support and guidance around the Access to Work scheme
• Disability and Adjustments passport
• Employee Wellbeing Programme available to all colleagues and immediate family members
• Reasonable adjustments policy and guidance
• Disability and neurodiversity service for our students
• Allyship training and guidance
• Disability, and neurodiversity awareness training
• Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and Display Screen Equipment Assessments (DSEs)
• We have partnered with AccessAble to create a comprehensive series of access and guides and routes for campus for colleagues, students and visitors
• Celebrations, talks and events
• Accessibility and Inclusion training

In 2023 Royal Holloway was recognised as a top 100 employer by Stonewall in its current list which recognises LGBTQ+ inclusive organisations across the public, private and third sectors in the UK. Additionally, we achieved a Gold Award recognising that we met a high proportion of Stonewall's criteria for transgender and bisexual inclusion, supporting two of the most marginalised groups within the LGBTQ+ community.

A selection of LGBT+ Equality initiatives include:

• LGBT+ Staff Network
• Synchronous training on gender identity, and sexuality
• Transitioning at Work policy and guidance
• Pride Progress lanyards
• Pronoun badges
• Period products available in men’s toilets
• Gender-neutral toilets
• Pride Progress and Trans flags flown from our central clock tower to mark important days and months relating to LGBT+ equality
• Allyship guides
• LGBT+ Equality Action Plan monitored by our LGBT+ Equality Group that feeds into our central EDI Committee