Ten universities have pledged to battle institutional sexism and make life easier for female scientists by signing a new charter for women in research, writes Anna Fazackerley.

The new Athena Swan charter aims to raise the numbers of women in science, engineering and technology.

Universities signing the agreement will be expected to monitor the number of women on their payroll as well as how their careers are progressing and whether they are being unfairly burdened with administrative duties.

Louise Archer, a reader in gender at London Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ who co-produced the charter, said: "We need to know if women are doing all the administration and men all the research. And are women finding it difficult to get into prestige conferences? I've been told that this is a big issue.

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There's a lot of the old-boy network."

She added: "We need to challenge unwitting forms of sexism - even silly things such as whether women on committees are always expected to make the tea."

Dr Archer said that she hoped universities would strive to take more female scientists off short-term contracts but she admitted: "Some universities will find it difficult. We know this problem won't be solved tomorrow."

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The ten institutions unveiled as founder members this week are: Bristol, Cambridge, Heriot-Watt, Imperial College London, Loughborough, Oxford, Plymouth, Southampton, Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast and 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London.

Others will be invited to follow their lead.