“The influential collection of biographical essays by Eric Temple Bell, Men of Mathematics, was published in 1937. It covered the lives of about 40 mathematicians, from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century. The book inspired many boys to become mathematicians. However, it seems unlikely it inspired many girls …” (more)
[Peter Lynch, Irish Times, 16 May]
“Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor today came out fervently in favour of consent education in universities speaking at the launch of the Systematic Action for Gender Equality (SAGE) Charter launch today …” (more)
[Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 15 May]
“Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD Minister of State for Higher Education today (15th May 2019) formally launched a Charter to promote gender equality in the University sector. SAGE – Systemic Action for Gender Equality – is an EU-Horizon 2020 funded project designed to seek stronger action on gender equality in higher education and research …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 15 May]
“Women are listed as authors of just 30% of academic research from British universities, according to a major new ranking of higher education institutions. Although the number of women named as authors is gradually increasing, the slow pace was described by one expert as ‘disheartening’ …” (more)
[Dalmeet Singh Chawla, Guardian, 15 May]
“More than two thirds of women who work in the home and have a third level education do not want to return to a paid job, according to a survey issued today. In research conducted by SOLAS on 218,000 women on ‘home duties’, not participating in the labour force and aged between 20–64, the majority of women – regardless of their education level – said they did not wish to return to the labour force …” (more)
[Sorcha O’Connor, Independent, 1 May]
“Fifteen students at Queen’s University Belfast have requested to change their gender on official records. Almost 100 students across the UK’s top third-level academic institutions have done so at a time when universities are being accused of ‘disturbing’ failures to protect trans students from abuse …” (more)
[Claire McNeilly, Belfast Telegraph, 22 April]
“Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) has commenced its preparations to submit an application for the Athena SWAN Bronze Award – the gender quality benchmark – to the Advance Higher Education’s (HE) Gender Equality Charters Team. The submission is an institution-wide initiative led by the Research Office at DkIT …” (more)
[Talk of the Town, 13 April]
“Almost half of female economists have experienced gender discrimination, according to an American Economic Association survey that also included hundreds of reports of assault and harassment. 48% of women reported unfair discrimination based on sex and 22% experienced bias for their marital status or caregiving responsibilities …” (more)
[Jeff Kearns, Bloomberg, 18 March]
“Fewer girls than boys are choosing to study Stem subjects in college due to the choices they make at Leaving Cert level, new research has shown. The Understanding Gender Differences in STEM study, published by the UCD centre for economic research, reveals that the subjects female students choose to study during the Leaving Cert cycle strongly influence whether or not they will go on to study courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) at third level …” (more)
[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 18 March]
“Trade unions have demanded an end to the ‘staggering’ levels of inequality in third-level institutions, as well as warning of the impact of perilous working conditions on women employed in the sector …” (more)
[Rachel O’Leary, University Times, 11 March]
“Trade unions have called for an end to the ‘stark inequalities’ and precarious working environments facing workers, particularly women, in higher and further education roles. Union representatives from third-level institutions across the country gathered in Liberty Hall on International Women’s Day to discuss the ‘staggering’ levels of gender inequality and precarious working conditions which persist among university and college academic and management staff …” (more)
[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 8 March]
“Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor has delivered a blistering attack on male attitudes to gender equality. She described men’s level of interest in equality as ‘small, as in teeny-weeny small, as in this small’, as she gestured to her audience with her thumb and forefinger only centimetres apart …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 8 March]
“A chara, – Dick Ahlstrom’s informative and interesting article on Ireland’s scientists finishes with the exhortation to ‘… have a few more more names for the next table quiz’ (‘Ireland’s stellar contributions go under the radar’, Science Analysis, March 7th). I suggest, on this International Women’s Day, that we also remember Ireland’s female scientists …” (more)
[Bróna Ní Mhuirí, Irish Times, 8 March]
“Technology and computing courses are proving to be the hardest to complete in college, a major new study has found. The report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) also found that females had significantly higher completion of third-level courses than males. And first year is key – with almost two thirds of those who don’t graduate dropping out at that stage …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 14 February]
“The pay gap between women and men working in scientific research and development positions in Ireland is the largest in the European Union, with women earning on average 30% less than men, research has found. The European Commission on Monday released She Figures 2018, which presents key indicators on progress made towards gender equality in research and innovation, to mark the 20th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science …” (more)
[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 11 February]
“The plan to establish up to 45 women-only posts in Irish universities over the next three years is likely to be challenged in court due to the plan being seen as ‘positive discrimination’ by some …” (more)
[Andrea Andres, University Observer, 29 January]
“The news last week that concerns around ‘positive discrimination’ were raised about the creation of several women-only professorships is reflective of something that has long been an open secret in academia. Higher education has not – as yet – had a major #MeToo moment. But most people, even those with only second-hand experience of life in academia, have heard whispers of the sexism and traditionalist masculinity that remains entrenched in academic circles …” (more)
[University Times, 28 January]
“Concerns were raised that 45 new academic women-only posts could be seen as ‘positive discrimination’ in correspondence between government departments. The Department of Education had been seeking advice about the legality of creating professorship posts that would be open just to women …” (more)
[Ken Foxe, Irish Times, 21 January]
“Erin K Fletcher, an economist with the global, nonprofit health-and-education organization Results for Development, feels so strongly about her field’s problem with sexism that she left academe. Fletcher was one of many women who spoke out last week at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting, in Atlanta …” (more)
[Lily Jackson, Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 January]
“The economics profession is facing a mounting crisis of sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying that women in the field say has pushed many of them to the sidelines – or out of the field entirely. Those issues took center stage at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting …” (more)
[Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 10 January]
