Maynooth University develops first public online platform to track gender composition of staff and students in third level institutions

(L-R):Rosaleen McCarthy; Eimear Wilkinson; Sarah Hawes; President of Maynooth University, Prof Philip Nolan; Prof Linda Connolly; Claire McGing receiving the Athena SWAN Bronze Award
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - 15:30

Irish Version

Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, presents Maynooth University with Athena SWAN Bronze Award 2018 for work in advancing gender equality

Maynooth University is working to develop the first publicly accessible ‘gender equality dashboard,’ which will allow users to compare the composition of staff and students across third-level institutions.

MU’s Athena SWAN Committee is working closely with the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) at the University to develop an interactive system that will allow users to monitor progress by third-level institutions in tackling gender equality, based on data from the Higher Education Authority. It is expected to be launched in early 2019.

Maynooth University was today officially presented with the internationally recognised Athena SWAN Bronze Award by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD. The Athena SWAN Awards in Higher Education recognise work in advancing gender equality for women in academia, and in promoting diversity and inclusion for staff and students in third-level institutions. 

Maynooth University was the first institution in Ireland to apply for and receive the Athena SWAN Bronze Award under the expanded Athena SWAN Charter.  The expanded Charter recognises work undertaken in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines, as well as STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine).

Maynooth is also the first Irish institution to incorporate ‘intersectionality’ as part of its Athena SWAN application, taking into account factors that can overlap with gender inequality, such as race and ethnicity.
President of Maynooth University, Professor Philip Nolan, said: “This award is a welcome recognition of Maynooth University’s collective commitment to advancing gender equality and represents a key milestone for us.
“Our approach to gender equality is grounded in a wider strategic goal to be a model university of equality, diversity and inclusion.  We are proactively improving the position of women at every level and in all parts of our institution, including some initiatives which we hope will serve as models of best practice,” Prof Nolan said.

Maynooth University’s gender equality dashboard is one of 57 actions in its Gender Action Plan for 2018-2021, which was a cornerstone of Athena SWAN application for a Bronze Award. The Action Plan is underpinned by the University’s recently renewed Equality and Diversity Policy.

The action plan includes the appointment of a Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Interculturalism; a Gender Identity and Expression Policy for transgender and gender diverse staff and students; and other strategies to address the under-representation of women in different disciplines and grades within the University.
Key advances:

  • A Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Interculturalism to be appointed shortly, following completion of applications process in October. The successful nominee will be a member of the University Executive.
  • Maynooth’s Gender Identity and Expression Policy for transgender and gender diverse staff and students to be published in early 2019.
  • The Department of Biology will this month submit its first application for an Athena SWAN Bronze Department Award. Other departments/schools have already committed to applying in later rounds (Geography, Business, both in 2019, and Law, Chemistry, Experimental Physics).

Athena SWAN accreditation is awarded by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) recently reconstituted as Advance HE). The Maynooth University Athena SWAN Bronze Institution Award Application was prepared by the University's Self-Assessment Team and chaired by Professor Linda Connolly, Director of the Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute. Professor Connolly was assisted in this role by Athena SWAN Project Officer Claire McGing

Ends

Note to Editors:
The original Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise institutional commitment to advancing the careers of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM) in both higher education and research. In 2015, the Charter was expanded to recognise work done in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business and Law; in professional and support roles; in work that considers intersectionality; and efforts to support transgender and gender diverse staff and student populations.
 
The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) undertakes academic and applied mapping research and produces spatial datasets and specialist tools to aid in their analysis. Based at Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, AIRO is the leading spatial analysis and planning unit within the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA).

Tá a Céad Ardán Poiblí ar Líne chun Léargas a Fháil ar an gComhdhéanamh Inscne de Bhaill Foirne agus de Mhic Léinn in Institiúidí Tríú Léibhéal á Forbairt ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad

Tá Gradam Cré-Umha Athena SWAN 2018 á bhronnadh ar Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ag an Aire Stáit don Ardoideachas Máire Mistéil Ní Chonchubhair as a cuid oibre ar fad ar chomhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn

Tá Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ag obair ar an gcéad chlár eolais ar chomhionannas inscne ar fáil don phobal a fhorbairt chun go mbeadh an deis ag úsáideoirí comparáid a dhéanamh ar an gcomhdhéanamh de bhaill foirne agus de mhic léinn sna hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéal éagsúla.

Is i gcomhar leis an Ionad Breathnaithe um Thaighde Uile-Éireann (AIRO) atá an córas idirghníomhach á fhorbairt in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus tabharfaidh sé an deis dá chuid úsáideoirí measúnú a dhéanamh ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta ag institiúidí tríú leibhéal agus iad ag tabhairt faoi chomhionannas inscne a bhaint amach. Tiocfaidh na sonraí ón Údarás um Ard-Oideachas. Is é an sprioc ná go seolfar an córas idirghníomhach go luath sa bhliain 2019.

Bhí Gradam Cré-Umha Athena SWAN, a bhfuil aitheantas idirnáisiúnta bainte amach aige, bronnta go hoifigiúil ar Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ag an Aire Stáit don Ardoideachas, Máire Mistéil Ní Chonchubhair, TD inniu. Tugann Gradaim Athena SWAN san Ard-Oideachas aitheantas d’obair a dhéantar chun comhionannas inscne do mhná sa saol acadúil agus éagsúlacht agus ionclúideadh do bhaill foirne agus do mhic léinn in institiúidí tríú leibhéal a chur chun cinn.

Is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéad institiúid in Éirinn chun cur isteach ar Ghradam Cré-Umha Athena SWAN mar atá sé forbartha faoi Chairt Athena SWAN agus is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéad institiúid in Éirinn chun an gradam céanna a bhaint amach freisin.
Aithníonn an Chairt nua-fhorbartha obair a dhéantar sna hEalaíona, sna Daonnachtaí agus sna hEolaíochtaí Sóisialta, chomh maith leis na hábhair ar a thugtar STEMM (Eolaíocht, Teicneolaíocht, Innealtóireacht, Matamaitic, agus Leigheas).
Is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéad institiúid in Éirinn chun ‘trasnachas’ a ionchorprú mar chuid den iarratas Athena SWAN agus chun aird a thabhairt ar thosca a thagann trasna ar chomhionannas inscne, mar aon le cine agus eitneacht.
Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, an tOllamh Pilib Ó Nualláin: “Cuirimid fáilte roimh Ghradam Cré-Umha Athena SWAN mar aitheantas ar cé chomh tiomanta is atáimid go léir in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad do chomhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn agus is cloch míle an-thábhachtach é an gradam seo.”

“Tá ár gcur chuige ó thaobh comhionannais inscne de fréamhaithe i gcuspóir straitéiseach níos leithne chun bheith mar eiseamláir ollscoile ar chomhionannas, éagsúlacht agus ionclúideadh. Bimid ag obair go réamh-ghníomhach chun staid na mban agus an staid atá ag gach grúpa faoi ghannionadaíocht ar gach léibhéal dár n-institiúid a fheabhsú. Táimid lán le dóchas go dtabharfaidh cuid de na tionscnaimh atá ar bun againn eiseamláirí dúinn ó thaobh an dea-chleachtais de,” a dúirt an tOllamh Ó Nualláin.

Is é clár eolais Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ar chomhionannas inscne ceann de na 57 gníomhaíochtaí sa Phlean Gníomhaíochta Inscne 2018 – 2021, plean a bhí i gcroílár an iarratais agus muintir Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ag cur isteach ar Ghradam Cré-Umha Athena SWAN. Is fréamhaithe i bPolasaí Comhionannais agus Éagsúlachta na hOllscoile, a athnuaíodh le déanaí, atá an Plean Gníomhaíochta.

Mar chuid den phlean gníomhaíochta, tá sé i gceist go dtarlóidh na rudaí seo a leanas: Leas-Uachtarán don Chomhionannas, Éagsúlacht agus Idirchultúrachas a cheapadh, Polasaí maidir le Feiniúlacht agus Léiriú Inscne do bhaill foirne agus do mhic léinn atá transinscneach agus éagsúil ó thaobh na hinscne de a chur i bhfeidhm agus straitéisí eile a thabharfaidh aghaidh ar ghannionadaíocht na mban i ndisciplíní agus ar ghráid éagsúla taobh istigh den Ollscoil a chur i bheidhm.
Dul Chun Cinn atá Déanta

  • Beidh Leas-Uachtarán don Chomhionannas, Éagsúlacht agus Idirchultúrachas ceaptha go luath, tar éis do phróiseas na n-iarratas bheith críochnaithe i Mí Dheireadh Fómhair. Beidh an té a cheapfar mar bhall de Choiste Feidhmiúcháin na hOllscoile.
  • Beidh Polasaí Ollscoil Mhá Nuad maidir le Feiniúlacht agus Léiriú Inscne do bhaill foirne agus do mhic léinn atá transinscneach agus éagsúil ó thaobh na hinscne de foilsithe go luath sa bhliain 2019.
  • Cuirfidh Roinn na Bitheolaíochta a hiarratas isteach an mhí seo ar Ghradam Cré-Umha Roinne Athena SWAN. Tá ranna/scoileanna eile tiomanta d’iarratais a chur isteach ar an ngradam i mbabhtaí eile sa todhchaí (Tíreolaíocht, Gnó, an dá roinn sa bhliain 2019, agus Dlí, Ceimic, Fisic Thurgnamhach).

Is é an tAonad Dúshláin Comhionannais a bhronnann creidiúnú Athena SWAN. Bhí Gradam Cré-Umha Institiúide Athena SWAN de chuid Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ullmhaithe ag Foireann Fhéinmheasúnaithe na hOllscoile. Is í an tOllamh Linda Connolly, Stiúrthóir ar Institiúid Eolaíochtaí Sóisialta Ollscoil Mhá Nuad (MUSSI), cathaoirleach na foirne agus faigheann sí cúnamh ina cuid oibre ó Oifigeach Tionscadail Athena SWAN Claire McGing.