Why gender equality?
‘The under-representation of women threatens the
goals of science in achieving excellence, as well as
being wasteful and unjust’ - European Commission, 2001
Moral
case
Pg.17
Business
case
Pg.18
…HEIs which allow gender inequality to exist
cannot perform to their full potential
Pg.11
Approach to the Review

Policy-context research
 International and national literature review

Data collection on Irish HEI staff (academic &
non academic)
 Collection of HEI equality policies and Athena
SWAN applications

Stakeholder consultation (face to face
meetings, written submissions, & national
public online survey)
Pg.21
HEIs International situation
In higher education, women continue to be vastly under-represented
in top academic decision-making positions, and top academic grades
90%
across Europe
82%
80%
79%
67%
70%
60%
50%
55%
45%
59%
58%
54%
46%
41%
40%
54%
53%
47%
46%
42%
56%
63%
55%
45%
44%
30%
37%
33%
21%
18%
20%
Pg.31
10%
0%
ISCED 5A Students
ISCED 5A
Graduates
ISCED 6 Students ISCED 6 Graduates
2007 Male
2007 Female
Grade C
2013 Male
Grade B
Grade A
2013 Female
Source: She Figures 2015
Handout
Handout
Handout
National Online Survey Results
Pg.8, 26 & 111
Four possible reasons?
Double-blind
In business, itexperiment:
has been observed
only changing
that women
the
1. Not enough
Women
name
are as on
ambitious
the CV, science
as men faculty
to2.reach
from
theare
topnot
women in the
ambitious
enough
research-intensive
within their
organisations,
universities
but
‘rated
they
are
male
pipeline
applicants
significantlyasless
significantly
confident more
than men
competent
that this
than
would
the
happen,
(identical)
with
female
confidence
applicant.
being
defined
These
3. Women must
participants
as the not
‘perception
selected
of one’s
a higher
chances
starting
of success
bealso
good
4. Organisation
enough
to progress
salary
in the
and
current
offered
environment,
more career
mentoring
rather
than to
and
culture
to
the
top
of
the
the
male applicant.’
confidence
in one’s Moss-Racusin
own qualification.’
et al (2012).
career ladder
PNAS,
109(41)16474-79.
McKinsey
Women matter, 11.
Pg.14
Recommendations
With academic excellence at their heart, these
recommendations are an antidote to mediocrity.
Pg.43
The next step: each stakeholder group to use
these recommendations to develop a tailored
implementation plan, specific to the particular
stage that each organisation is at in addressing
gender inequality.
1.1
1.2
1.5
Leadership
1.22
Governance
and
Management
structures
Athena
SWAN
1.6
HEIs
1.21
Gender
action plan
Organisational
culture
Recruitment
and
promotion
1.16
1.17
1.18
1.19
1.9
1.10
Strategic
Dialogue
Process
2.10
2.1
Staff database
and
institutional
profiles
Athena
SWAN
2.2
2.3
HEA
2.8
Monitoring
and review
Targeted
funding for
gender
initiatives
2.7
National
Committee
for Gender
Equality
2.6
Gender
dimension
in research
content
3.8
Athena
SWAN
3.7
Funding for
gender
equality
research
Irish
Research
Funding
Agencies
Gender
action plan
3.6
3.1
Gender
equality
among
researchers
Genderproof
Processes
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
DES
DJEI
DJE
Other
nominating
bodies
QQI
Other key
Stakeholders
IOTI
National
Forum
IUA
USI
RIA
Department
of Education
and Skills
4.1 Gender equality will be identified as a
national priority and key system objective in
the Higher Education System Performance
Framework 2017-2019.
With the following high level indicators:
• Presidents, or equivalent by gender;
• Gender-balance (min 40% of each gender) on governing
authority/body, academic council, and executive management;
• Gender balance of Academic staff at each grade;
• Gender balance of professor grades (universities only);
• Gender balance of senior non-academic staff;
• Number of institutions who have successfully achieved and
retained Athena SWAN awards;
• Level of perceived gender inequality amongst staff members.
Pg.103
•
•
•
•
Annual review of HEI progress
Strategic Dialogue process
Full review at the end of 3 years
Full review every three years thereafter
Thank you
The full report and supporting documentation can
be found at www.hea.ie
[email protected]
@HigherEducationAuthority
@hea_irl
Don’t think this applies to you?
Put it to the test:
Project Implicit - Implicit Association Test (IAT)
(Gender-Career IAT)
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html