I began my professional career in nursing and healthcare and am now Head of Psychology at the University of Westminster. I believe it is important for women to make the most of the educational and career opportunities that other women have pioneered since the suffragette movement began. Academia offers great opportunities for women, and universities are doing fantastic work under the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter. The charter encourages and recognises commitment to advancing the careers of women in all roles – professional, support and academic – and includes students. I am part of my university’s Athena SWAN leadership team which has enabled me to work with others to create initiatives that promote the advancement of women – from their undergraduate studies through to becoming leading academics and researchers in psychology, or into careers working with people such as clinical, occupational and health psychology.
