UCD receives Athena Swan Bronze Institutional Award for improving gender equality

By Eithne Dodd | Mar 18 2017

UCD has been awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze Institutional Award in recognition of its commitment to improving gender equality.The Athena SWAN award is given to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of gender equality issues and a commitment to improving them.The Athena SWAN charter commits HEIs to adopt ten principles to tackle gender inequality and the underrepresentation of women in senior roles in higher education.UCD signed the charter in 2015 and since then has established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group reporting directly to UMT (University Management Team); appointed a vice president for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; introduced a new HR strategy for integrating gender equality; developed an Equality Impact Assessment Tool, which will enable and require all policy developers to ensure that UCD policies are inclusive and promote equality and diversity and introduced a social levy to distribute the costs of leave.Chair of Athena SWAN Steering Group and Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, UCD Professor Orla Feely said: “Diversity is highlighted in the university’s strategic plan as one of the core values of UCD, and one of our strategic objectives is the attraction and retention of an excellent and diverse cohort of students, faculty and staff.”By the end of 2018, HIEs in Ireland will be required to hold an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in order to be eligible for research funding from Science Foundation Ireland, Irish Research Council and Health Research Board.