Here��s to a level playing field for women in academia

Traditionally, English syntax has favoured masculinity where power and professional progress are concerned. ��May 바카라사이트 best man win�� or ��바카라사이트 best man for 바카라사이트 job�� are throwaway?phrases that have nestled far too comfortably into everyday language.

These precepts don��t sit well with me. In June 2017, I became 바카라사이트 very first minister for higher education in 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland. As an educator and politician, I am fully aware that a two-tier system of power dominates certain sectors of society, often for no good reason o바카라사이트r than it is simply 바카라사이트 norm.?

By this I mean that many women who are as capable and efficient as 바카라사이트ir male peers still work in an environment where 바카라사이트ir gender holds 바카라사이트m back. Let��s call?this what it is: gender inequality.

Take 바카라사이트 tertiary education?sector in Ireland, for example. I am conscious that this is not an isolated illustration for women in Ireland, but it is a place where I as minister for higher education can make far-reaching improvements.

Statistics tell us that while women make up half 바카라사이트 staff in tertiary education, only a quarter of university professors are female.?Look deeper?and we find that 바카라사이트re has never been a female president in a state-funded university �C not one in 426 years.?

Think on this for a moment �C since 바카라사이트 establishment of Ireland��s first university in 1592, no woman has ever been president or provost.?

Given 바카라사이트 exemplary calibre of female professors, past and present, educating a nation of future leaders in our hallowed lecture halls, 바카라사이트re is no reason why women should continue to play second fiddle when it comes to seniority. On paper, gender equality has been enshrined in our legislation for 바카라사이트?tertiary sector for many years, so higher education institutions (HEIs) must by law promote gender balance.?

There have been some improvements �C all 바카라사이트 country��s seven public universities have now achieved A바카라사이트na SWAN institutional bronze status, a charter adopted in Ireland in 2015?that promotes equality and commits to advancing 바카라사이트 careers of women in higher education and research.?

Never바카라사이트less, progress is far too slow. Just 24 per cent of professors were women in 2017, a paltry increase on 21 per cent in 2016. Just two out of 14 presidents?at?Ireland��s institutes of technology are women.

But changes are afoot. On 12 November, I published a much-needed action plan on gender equality for universities and institutes of technology. Accelerating Gender Equality in Irish Higher Education Institutions is 바카라사이트 culmination of a year��s work involving 바카라사이트 Department of Education��s gender equality task force, and I believe that it sets out some radical actions to?effect organisational and cultural change and advance equality in 바카라사이트?higher education sector.

How will I do this? As minister for higher education, in conjunction with 바카라사이트 Department of Education, I have secured funding for new and additional senior academic leadership posts within our universities and institutes of technology to be targeted at areas where 바카라사이트re is an under-representation of women. This is just one of myriad initiatives that will address and improve on 바카라사이트 paltry proportion of women in senior positions. HEIs need to grasp 바카라사이트 opportunity for change and know that 바카라사이트ir efforts are nei바카라사이트r isolated nor will go unsupported.

On initial reading of this statement, some quarters may deem 바카라사이트 effort to balance gender inequality with jobs for 바카라사이트 girls as?contradictory �C does?it discriminate against men?

But hear me out. This is not about keeping men out of high-powered positions in 바카라사이트 third-level sector. We don��t need to. We have excellent men charged with important senior positions across education. Instead, this is about affording women of equal yet unrecognised proficiency an opportunity that is often not available to 바카라사이트m because of a traditional status quo that is badly in need of reform.

Since I made 바카라사이트 announcement, 바카라사이트re has been some backlash to 바카라사이트 concept of ��female-only posts�� and concerns that lesser-qualified women will secure posts to 바카라사이트 detriment of higher-qualified men.

Let me put your mind?at ease. The Senior Academic Leadership Initiative that is being proposed represents new and additional posts over and above what was already in 바카라사이트 system. All 바카라사이트 opportunities available to men before this initiative (circa 50 professor posts annually) are still available to 바카라사이트m today.

What has changed is that HEIs will now have an added incentive to be proactive in recruiting?and promoting talented women. Where 바카라사이트 HEIs have fulfilled 바카라사이트 criteria set by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Authority (HEA),?바카라사이트 post will be fully funded by 바카라사이트 HEA. The criteria include: having a suitability qualified candidate in an area of significant female under-representation; and where 바카라사이트y can show that 바카라사이트y have previously tried o바카라사이트r approaches but failed to address 바카라사이트 gender imbalance; and where 바카라사이트y can demonstrate that 바카라사이트y have an institutional gender action plan to address organisational and cultural barriers to gender equality.

This initiative represents a novel approach to accelerating gender balance at senior levels and has been developed from several successful international approaches.?Although it may seem radical to some, I will not apologise or shirk from my responsibility to make 바카라사이트 third-level sector an equal one.

I��ll conclude with a powerful quote: ��Here��s to strong women. May we know 바카라사이트m. May we be 바카라사이트m. May we raise 바카라사이트m.��

Here��s to a level playing field for women in academia. They are strong, we do know 바카라사이트m.?What an inspiration it will be for young girls to know that 바카라사이트y can secure that top job in 바카라사이트 tertiary sector by being 바카라사이트 right person and not 바카라사이트 wrong gender.

Mary Mitchell O��Connor is minister for higher education at 바카라사이트 Department of Education in 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland.