Trinity College Dublin has become only the second higher education institution in Ireland to win an Athena Swan Silver Award, while the Economic and Social Research Institution (ESRI) has become the first research institute in the country to achieve a Bronze award for its progress on gender equality.
“Trinity College Dublin has made impressive strides in promoting gender equity,” said Advance HE’s head of Athena Swan Ireland Sarah Fink.
“The percentage of women who how sit as members of key institutional committees now stands at 54 per cent – an 11 per cent increase since 2015.
“TCD has achieved this by reviewing its recruitment and career development processes and introducing rules which mean the composition of any committee should comprise no more than 60 per cent of any gender.”
First Bronze research institute
On ESRI’s Bronze Award, she said:
“ESRI has shown it has robust leadership and governance structures in place to underpin and embed its gender equality efforts, including the creation of an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee.
“It has also incorporated several best practice initiatives when it comes to its promotion processes and buddy schemes which are there to support those with parenting and caring responsibilities.”
Full list of winners
Institutional awards:
- Trinity College Dublin – Silver Award
- The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) – Bronze Award
- RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences renewed its Bronze award.
Department awards:
- Trinity College Dublin – School of Chemistry – Silver
- Trinity College Dublin – School of Natural Sciences – Silver
- Trinity College Dublin – School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences – Bronze
- University of Limerick – Department of Mathematics and Statistics – Silver
- Dublin City University – School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health –Bronze
- Maynooth University – Department of Experimental Physics – Bronze
- Maynooth University – Mathematics and Statistics – Bronze
- University College Dublin – School of Archaeology – Bronze
- University College Dublin – School of Mathematics and Statistics – Bronze
- University of Galway – Shannon College of Hotel Management – Bronze
Simon Harris TD, Minster for Further and Higher Education in Ireland, said: "Athena Swan is one of the most important initiatives that we have in the higher education sector in Ireland.”
Find out about Athena Swan Ireland here.