Maynooth University has achieved the renewal of the internationally recognised Athena Swan Bronze Institution Award for gender equality in higher education institutions. In 2018, Maynooth University was the first Higher Education Institution in Ireland to achieve an Athena Swan Bronze Institution Award under the 2015 expanded charter, in recognition of its commitment to progressing gender and intersectional equality for staff and students.
Today, Maynooth University is the first and only institution in Ireland to date to apply for and achieve a renewal of its Athena Swan Bronze Institution award under the new Athena Swan Ireland Charter processes which were introduced in October 2021. To qualify for a renewal of an Athena Swan Award, Institutions are required to demonstrate progress achieved against previously identified priorities and actions to address gender inequality.
Professor Eeva Leinonen, President of Maynooth University, said: “We are very proud to renew our Athena Swan Bronze Award, which reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality. I would like to commend the dedication of staff and students across the University whose work is recognised through this award. Through the implementation of our Gender Equality Action Plan 2023-2026, we will endeavour to build on this achievement as part of our overall commitment to excellence, opportunity and impact.”
Professor David Malone, Chair of the Gender Equality Steering Group that prepared the application, noted: “We’re delighted to be the first institution to renew our award under the new processes. There has been hard work across the university to implement our previous gender equality plan. Students and staff at all levels have helped us understand our strengths and where we can improve, with support from our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Office and Gender Equality Steering Group being particularly valuable. We're looking forward to implementing the next phase of our gender equality plan.”
Dr Gemma Irvine, Vice President for Equality and Diversity, said: “The renewal of our Athena Swan Bronze Institution Award demonstrates the importance of a sustained commitment to gender equality in higher education through critical reflection and evidence-based action. This renewed award builds on the strong foundations of our previous Athena Swan Bronze Award and Action Plan, in addition to Maynooth’s seven Department level Awards and the University’s Newcomer Gender Equality Champion prize in the inaugural EU Awards for (Academic) Gender Equality Champions. I look forward to working with the Gender Equality Steering Group to implement the new Gender Equality Action Plan and to continue to progress this critical work for the University.”
The cornerstone of Maynooth University’s Athena Swan application is its comprehensive Gender Equality Action Plan for 2023-2026, which is underpinned by the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy. The plan incorporates recommendations made at national level by the Higher Education Authority and addresses the requirements for Horizon Europe, the European Commission’s research and innovation framework programme.
The Athena Swan application outlined the progress that has been made since the initial Bronze Award. Through the Gender Equality Action Plan 2023-2026 the University commits to take further action to build on this progress and continue to advance gender equality at Maynooth University and other equality grounds enshrined in Irish employment legislation. The 54 actions in the plan include:
- Ensure that key decision-making bodies comprise at least 40% women and 40% men, and there is gender balance across chairs.
- Prepare for an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award application in November 2026 round, in line with HEA timelines.
- Implement the recommendations and actions for HEIs in the HEA’s Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Higher Education Institutions Implementation Plan.
- Advance race equality at MU through the development of a MU Race Equality Plan.
About Athena Swan
The Athena Swan charter is a framework that is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research. By being part of Athena Swan, institutions and departments are committing to a progressive charter; adopting these principles within their policies, practices, action plans and culture.
The Athena Swan Charter was launched in Ireland in 2015 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in higher education and research. The charter has since been expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSBBL), and staff working in professional, managerial and support roles. The charter framework also recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, including consideration of the experience of trans staff and students, as well as the underrepresentation of men in particular disciplines.
The Athena Swan Ireland Charter has recently undergone a re-development in line with the findings of a national consultation and offers a framework for progressing equality in higher education and research that is unique to Ireland but aligns broadly with the global charter principles. The new charter framework, introduced in October 2021, has further adapted the previous expanded charter framework to the Irish HEI context and takes a comprehensive multi-level approach to organisation structural/cultural change across the equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation. This includes national drivers and links to core grant and research funding, and European Commission requirements for Horizon Europe.
Six Maynooth University Departments and one Maynooth University Faculty (six Departments and two Schools) have now achieved Athena Swan Bronze: the School of Business, School of Law and Criminology, the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Psychology and the Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies & Philosophy each hold Bronze Department Awards.
Gradam Institiúid Chré-umha Athena Swan bainte amach ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad as a tiomantas do chomhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn
5 Aibreán 2023
Tá athnuachan bainte amach ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ar Ghradam Institiúide Cré-umha Athena Swan a aithnítear go hidirnáisiúnta do chomhionannas inscne in institiúidí ardoideachais.
In 2018, ba í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéad Institiúid ardoideachais in Éirinn a bhain Dámhachtain Institiúide Cré-umha Athena Swan amach faoi chairt leathnaithe 2015, ar son a tiomantas do chomhionannas inscne agus trasnach a chur chun cinn don fhoireann agus do mhic léinn.
Inniu, is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéad institiúid agus an t-aon institiúid in Éirinn go dtí seo a d’iarr agus a bhain amach athnuachan ar a gradam Institiúid Chré-umha Athena Swan faoi phróisis nua Chairt na hÉireann Athena Swan a tugadh isteach i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2021. Chun cáiliú d’athnuachan ar Ghradam Athena Swan, ní mór d’Institiúidí dul chun cinn a léiriú ar chomhlíonadh tosaíochtaí agus gníomhaíochtaí a aithníodh roimhe seo chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar neamhionannas inscne.
Dúirt an tOllamh Eeva Leinonen, Uachtarán Ollscoil Mhá Nuad: “Táimid thar a bheith bródúil as ár nDámhachtain Cré-umha Athena Swan a athnuachan, rud a léiríonn ár dtiomantas leanúnach do chomhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn. Ba mhaith liom dúthracht na foirne agus na mac léinn ar fud na hOllscoile a dtugtar aitheantas dá gcuid oibre tríd an ngradam seo a mholadh. Tríd an bPlean Gníomhaíochta um Chomhionannas Inscne 2023-2026 a chur i bhfeidhm, déanfaimid ár ndícheall tógáil ar an ngnóthachtáil seo mar chuid dár dtiomantas foriomlán do shármhaitheas, deis agus tionchar.”
Dúirt an tOllamh David Malone, Cathaoirleach an Ghrúpa Stiúrtha um Chomhionannas Inscne, a d’ullmhaigh an t-iarratas: “Tá lúcháir orainn bheith ar an gcéad institiúid a d’athnuaigh ár ngradam faoi na próisis nua. Rinneadh obair chrua ar fud na hollscoile chun ár bplean comhionannais inscne roimhe seo a chur i bhfeidhm. Chuidigh mic léinn agus baill foirne ag gach leibhéal linn ár láidreachtaí agus na háiteanna ar féidir linn feabhas a chur orthu a thuiscint, agus ba mhór againn an tacaíocht a fuaireamar ónár nOifig um Chomhionannas, Éagsúlacht agus Cuimsiú agus ón nGrúpa Stiúrtha um Chomhionannas Inscne. Táimid ag tnúth leis an gcéad chéim eile dár bplean comhionannais inscne a chur i bhfeidhm.”
Dúirt an Leas-Uachtarán um Chomhionannas agus Éagsúlacht, an Dr Gemma Irvine: “Léiríonn athnuachan ár nGradam Institiúid Cré-umha Athena Swan an tábhacht a bhaineann le tiomantas leanúnach do chomhionannas inscne san ardoideachas trí mhachnamh criticiúil agus gníomh bunaithe ar fhianaise. Tógann an dámhachtain athnuaite seo ar na bunsraitheanna láidre dár nGradam Cré-umha Athena Swan agus dár bPlean Gníomhaíochta roimhe seo, chomh maith le seacht nGradam ar leibhéal na Roinne Mhá Nuad agus duais Churaidh na hOllscoile um Chomhionannas Inscne do Núíosaigh na hOllscoile i gcéad Ghradaim AE do Sheaimpíní Comhionannais Inscne (Acadúil). Táim ag tnúth le dul i mbun oibre leis an nGrúpa Stiúrtha um Chomhionannas Inscne chun an Plean Gníomhaíochta um Chomhionannas Inscne nua a chur i bhfeidhm agus chun leanúint leis an obair ríthábhachtach seo don Ollscoil a chur chun cinn.”
Is é bunchloch iarratas Athena Swan Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ná a Plean Gníomhaíochta cuimsitheach um Chomhionannas Inscne do 2023-2026, a bhfuil Beartas Comhionannais agus Éagsúlachta na hOllscoile mar thaca aige. Ionchorpraítear sa phlean moltaí arna ndéanamh ar an leibhéal náisiúnta ag an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas agus tugann sé aghaidh ar na ceanglais le haghaidh Fís Eorpach, clár réime taighde agus nuálaíochta an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh.
Tugadh san iarratas ar Athena Swan breac-chuntas ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta ón gcéad Dámhachtain Chré-umha. Tríd an bPlean Gníomhaíochta um Chomhionannas Inscne 2023-2026 geallann an Ollscoil tuilleadh beart a dhéanamh chun cur leis an dul chun cinn seo agus leanúint ar aghaidh le comhionannas inscne a chur chun cinn in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus ar fhorais chomhionannais eile atá cumhdaithe i reachtaíocht fostaíochta na hÉireann. Áirítear ar na 54 gníomh sa phlean:
- A chinntiú go gcuimsíonn príomhchomhlachtaí cinnteoireachta 40% ar a laghad de mhná agus 40% d’fhir, agus go bhfuil cothromaíocht inscne i measc na gcathaoirleach.
- Ullmhú d’iarratas ar Dhámhachtain Institiúideach Airgid Athena Swan i mbabhta na Samhna 2026, ag teacht le hamlínte an ÚAO.
- Na moltaí agus na gníomhartha le haghaidh Institiúidí Ardoideachais a chur i bhfeidhm i bPlean Forfheidhmithe an ÚAO maidir le Deireadh a chur le Foréigean agus Ciapadh Gnéis in Institiúidí Ardoideachais.
- Comhionannas cine a chur chun cinn ar fud MU trí fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar Phlean Comhionannas Cine MU.
Maidir le Athena Swan
Is creat é cairt Athena Swan a úsáidtear ar fud na cruinne chun tacú le comhionannas inscne san ardoideachas agus sa taighde agus é a athrú ó bhonn. Trí bheith mar chuid de Athena Swan, tá institiúidí agus ranna tiomanta do chairt fhorásach; na prionsabail seo a ghlacadh laistigh dá gcuid polasaithe, cleachtais, pleananna gníomhaíochta agus cultúr.
Seoladh Cairt Athena Swan in Éirinn in 2015 chun tiomantas a spreagadh agus a aithint chun gairmeacha na mban san eolaíocht, sa teicneolaíocht, san innealtóireacht, sa mhatamaitic agus sa leigheas (STEMM) a chur chun cinn san ardoideachas agus sa taighde. Leathnaíodh an chairt ó shin chun aitheantas a thabhairt don obair a dhéantar sna healaíona, sna daonnachtaí, sna heolaíochtaí sóisialta, sa ghnó agus sa dlí (AHSBBL), agus baill foirne a oibríonn i róil ghairmiúla, bhainistíochta agus tacaíochta. Aithnítear sa chreat cairte freisin obair a dhéantar chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar chomhionannas inscne ar bhonn níos leithne, lena n-áirítear breithniú ar thaithí na foirne trasnaí agus na mac léinn trasnaí, chomh maith le tearcionadaíocht na bhfear i ndisciplíní ar leith.
Rinneadh athfhorbairt ar Chairt Athena Swan Ireland le déanaí ag teacht le torthaí comhairliúchán náisiúnta agus tairgeann sí creat chun comhionannas san ardoideachas agus taighde a chur chun cinn atá uathúil d’Éirinn ach a ailíníonn go ginearálta le prionsabail na cairte domhanda. Tá an creat cairte nua, a tugadh isteach i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2021, tar éis an creat cairte leathnaithe a bhí ann roimhe seo a oiriúnú do chomhthéacs ardoideachais na hÉireann agus glacann sé cur chuige cuimsitheach il-leibhéil i leith athrú struchtúrach/cultúrtha eagraíochta ar na forais chomhionannais atá cumhdaithe i reachtaíocht na hÉireann. Áiríonn sé seo tiománaithe náisiúnta agus naisc le príomhdheontais agus maoiniú taighde, agus ceanglais an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh maidir le Fís Eorpach.
Tá Cré-umha Athena Swan bainte amach ag sé Roinn agus Dámh amháin de chuid Ollscoil Mhá Nuad (sé Roinn agus dhá Scoil): tá Dámhachtainí Cré-Umha Roinne ag an Scoil Ghnó, an Scoil Dlí agus Coiriúlachta, na Ranna Bitheolaíochta, Ceimice, Tíreolaíochta, Síceolaíochta agus ag Dámh na nEalaíon, an Léinn Cheiltigh & na Fealsúnachta.