** Excavation season is upon us adminstratively! Please bear with any delayed responses to emails etc. Our facebook group is still growing with 150 at last member count... if you would like advice or support other women archaeologists can be contacted through there! **

*** 21/7/08  Steering Group met and plans for next 3- 6 months were outlined in addition to longer terms plans. Details will follow in the autumn ***

** 15/7/08  TAG proposal now accepted - see new page for further details**

Following our meeting on 30th May, a proposal to constitute British Women Archaeologists as a group was passed. We are delighted! A steering committee was founded to guide the group in the early formation stages and to implement both short and long terms goals. We will meet in mid-July to ascertain these. 

Survey reponses were over 80% in favour of such a group, to include men and have a women's only forum. The issues that were raised include equity issues as well as parenting and working. We hope to address these in three specific ways: mentoring, the promotion of flexible working, and networking. For an idea of how mentoring schemes have been viewed in other disciplines, see http://www.ucc.ie/wiset/about_wiset.htm . This is Women In Science, Engineering and Technology which has had EU funding to deal with similar career progression issues. While we hope to achieve some level of funding, WiSET cite mentoring as a 'quick win' - in other words, we can change things for the better, quickly.....

Thanks to all those who have submitted surveys. We are still accepting these - if you weren't sure we'd listen, think again! We're still here to help YOU with YOUR issues. Women are experiencing discriminatory comments, indeed around 70% of you have either had comments made directly to you, or were unsure whether you had, or know others who have had comments made to them. Or, out of every 10 female archaeologists you meet, 7 will have had either direct or indirect experiences of discrimination! Nobody feels this is acceptable. 

If you would like to be involved, or have someone from the BWA come and present the results of the survey at your university or workplace, email us at womeninarchaeology@hotmail.com.