Trinity’s commitment to gender equality recognised by five new Athena SWAN bronze awards

Posted on: 28 September 2020

Five Schools at Trinity – Social Work and Social Policy; Physics; Genetics and Microbiology; Pyschology; and Law – have secured bronze Athena SWAN awards in the latest round – the results of which were announced today.

The Athena SWAN awards recognise the commitment of institutions and departments to improve gender equality. Submissions for the awards were completed during the national COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year.

The Athena SWAN charter launched in Ireland in early 2015 and engagement with the charter is a key pillar of Ireland’s national strategy for gender equality with progress linked to institutional eligibility for funding from Ireland’s major research agencies.

Today a total of 15 awards were announced across all Irish institutions, which represented a national success rate of 75%. Trinity made five applications in the latest round, achieving 100% success.

Clodagh Brook, Associate Vice-Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Trinity, said:

“We are delighted with the success enjoyed by the five award-winning Schools, which today join the School of Chemistry and School of Natural Sciences as bronze award holders. As an institution, Trinity also holds a bronze award. That – coupled with the increasing number of our Schools whose efforts to support and act on gender equality principles are being recognised by Athena SWAN – underlines our commitment to real institutional progress.  

“With that in mind we now look to the future with the hope and expectation of even more of our Schools securing awards, and to making the leap towards acquiring silver awards.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, said:

“Our higher education institutions must be leaders in gender equality. They must demonstrate to Government and to students their commitment to fairness, equality, dignity and respect.

“The Athena SWAN framework offers institutions an opportunity to show progress and to demonstrate leadership. I am delighted to see the success rate this year and hope we can build on this as we move forward.

“Since I have taken office, I have made it clear this Department will be one of inclusion and I want our higher education institutions to be a leader in this area.”