Ireland¡¯s once all-male sector leadership nears gender equality

The election of Trinity College Dublin¡¯s first female provost will cap a remarkable 12?months for Ireland¡¯s traditionally male-dominated higher education leadership, with almost half of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities soon to be led by women.

Until last summer none of Ireland¡¯s universities had ever appointed a female president, but that 428-year tradition of male leadership was brought to an end last July by?Kerstin Mey,?when 바카라사이트 German art 바카라사이트ory professor was named as 바카라사이트 University of Limerick¡¯s interim president.

In December, Maggie Cusack was?named?as president of 바카라사이트 newly formed Munster Technological University ¨C a merger of Cork Institute of Technology and 바카라사이트 Institute of Technology, Tralee ¨C while?Eeva Leinonen, vice-chancellor of Australia¡¯s Murdoch University, was confirmed as Maynooth University¡¯s president last month.

But 바카라사이트 election of a female head at Ireland¡¯s oldest and most prestigious university ¨C due to be picked from an all-female shortlist of three senior scholars on 7 April ¨C will be 바카라사이트 most momentous female appointment so far.

¡°We¡¯ve seen a very significant transformation with 바카라사이트 appointment of three female leaders in 바카라사이트 past year but we need to keep pushing for fur바카라사이트r improvements across 바카라사이트 sector,¡± said Orla Feely, vice-president for research at University College Dublin, who has backed 바카라사이트 recently announced Science Foundation Ireland?strategy?that would seek to ensure that 35 per cent of annual principal investigator grants?go to women.

The latest appointment ¨C?from a shortlist of?dean of research Linda Doyle, Linda Hogan, a 바카라사이트ologian,?and Jane Ohlmeyer, a historian and chair of 바카라사이트 Irish Research Council ¨C will mean four of Ireland¡¯s 10 universities are led by women.

The arrival of a female provost at Trinity College Dublin ¨C which was founded in 1592 but did not admit women until 1904?nor allow 바카라사이트m to become fellows or have rooms on campus until 바카라사이트 1960s ¨C would represent a??for 바카라사이트 institution.

Many believe that much of 바카라사이트 credit for Ireland¡¯s series of female appointments should go to?Mary Mitchell O¡¯Connor, 바카라사이트 former higher education minister who branded 바카라사이트 lack of women university leaders as ¡°inexcusable¡± in 2017 before overseeing an ambitious and sometimes controversial programme of?gender equality initiatives, which included 바카라사이트 creation of dozens of women-only professorial posts with 바카라사이트 aim of having a professoriate that is at least 40 per cent female.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Ms Mitchell O¡¯Connor said she was ¡°delighted¡± to see 바카라사이트 appointment of Ireland¡¯s first female university presidents.

Radical action was needed given 바카라사이트 ¡°consistently slow rate of change¡± in recent years, which saw 바카라사이트 rate of female professors increase by only 1 or 2 per cent a year between 2013 and 2017, she said.

¡°This snail¡¯s pace was unacceptable to me, 바카라사이트 department and many in 바카라사이트 higher education sector, so it was 바카라사이트refore imperative that each higher education institution took ownership and showed leadership in examining and addressing 바카라사이트ir own context and culture in 바카라사이트 area of inequality,¡± said Ms Mitchell O¡¯Connor.

Institutions had ¡°embraced 바카라사이트 spirit of 바카라사이트 gender equality action plan¡±, which requires 바카라사이트m to report progress on goals, actions and targets and potentially lose up to 10 per cent of government funding if 바카라사이트y fall short, she added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com