Our work on Goal 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 5: Gender Equality

As one of the world’s leading research institutions and the UK’s first university to have social responsibility as a core goal, we’re tackling the SDGs in four inter-related ways: through our research, learning and students, public engagement activity and operations.

Here’s a selection of our work addressing Goal 5.

Research

AquaPlan

AquaPlan is an interactive web application that helps farmers, businesses, and governments improve agricultural water management and climate adaptation, while also helping to educate students and the public about issues of water security and food sustainability. The initiative received a Making a Difference Award for its outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability and a low carbon future.

Global Development Institute

Our Global Development Institute is the UK’s largest university-based postgraduate centre specialising in international development. The institute addresses global inequalities to promote a socially-just world.  

Emeritus Professor Stephanie Barrientos, from the Global Development Institute, has been elected as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fairtrade Foundation, bringing her research experience in corporate social responsibility, trade and labour standards, gender, and fair and ethical trade in global value chains. 

 

Learning and students

Summer school for Women in Logic

The University’s School of Social Sciences hosts a four-day Summer School on Women in Logic every year. The programme is aimed at 16- to 18-year-old women and girls from widening participation backgrounds, with the goal of addressing the underrepresentation of women in logic and philosophy, while also encouraging more widening participation students to pursue philosophy as a field of study. 

Alternative Football League

Co-founded by the University’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health PhD student Beth Barnes, the Alternative Football League (AF League) is the North West’s only fully inclusive football league for women, non-binary and transgender individuals. AF League have three leagues across Manchester and Liverpool with 30 teams and over 400 players. They aim to use football as a platform to improve the mental health of women and non-binary people throughout the UK with their very own mental health and inclusivity workshops.

 

Public engagement

Addressing gender disparity in Kenya and Uganda

Elimisha Msichana Elimisha Jamii na Astronomia (Swahili for “educate a girl, educate the entire community with Astronomy”) is a project founded by Faculty of Science and Engineering PhD student Ann Njeri. The project is addressing the issue of gender disparity and inequality in education amongst girls in rural Kenya and Uganda through outreach, mentorship, scholarships and targeted STEM workshop programmes which are guided by long-term student tracking and monitoring.

Never OK

Never OK’ is a joint campaign by The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Salford, that promotes an environment and culture where sexual harassment or violence is never tolerated. The campaign encourages everyone in our University community to be active bystanders and challenge unacceptable behaviour should they witness it. We also want to empower survivors of sexual harassment or violence within our community to seek support and feel confident about reporting incidents.

 

Operations

Female sanitation

We’ve worked with our Students’ Union and current Women’s Officer to initiate and fund a new scheme providing free period products for our students, helping to combat period poverty and ensure sanitation for all.

Gender equality policies

Our Equality and Diversity Policy prevents discrimination based on gender and/or sex.

Our Dignity at Work and Study Policy covers harassment and discrimination against women.

Our Report and Support system addresses alleged cases of bullying, sexual harassment or discrimination.