Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
564. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress made on the equality objectives of his Department specifically in relation to women. [11075/22]
View answerInclusion is one of the six strategic goals of my Department’s Statement of Strategy. Within this goal my Department is championing equality by: providing leadership; advocating equality and respect for all; supporting inclusive learning; working with research environments; promoting female leadership in academia and research; eliminating harassment; and promoting the principle of consent.
The Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI) is an important initiative aimed at advancing gender equality and the representation of women at the highest levels in our higher education institutions. I announced the results of cycle two of SALI in late November whereby seven of our institutions were successful in securing an additional 10 posts at senior academic level in higher education. This brings the total number of posts awarded under SALI to 30.
Last May, I announced €23 million in funding for a programme for post-doctoral researchers to become research leaders. The investment, which is a joint initiative between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC), will see some 40 early career researchers, across all disciplines, supported to develop cutting-edge projects through awards of up to €550,000 over a four-year period. The focus will be promoting women researchers in academia, in support of equality, diversity and inclusion across the higher education sector.
The STEM Education Policy Statement was published in 2017 and seeks to raise awareness and interest in STEM and focuses on increasing the uptake of STEM related subjects for learners of all backgrounds, ability and gender. The strategy targets a 40% increase in the number of females taking STEM subjects for Leaving Certificate. On 18th May 2021, Minister Foley and I announced a new partnership to support education and public engagement in STEM. This partnership contributes funding to projects under the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme. This programme aims to support effective interventions in early STEM education, help students engage with science subjects at an early age and foster interest in STEM careers especially among young women. This is an area that I have prioritised, including through support for initiatives including the National Gender Equality Dashboard for Higher Education Institutions; the Athena SWAN Charter and the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative which is increasing the number of women involved in decision making roles in higher education.
Tackling sexual violence and harassment in our tertiary education system is and will remain, a key policy focus for me and my Department. I really want to thank students and staff across the country who took the time to engage with two surveys in 2021 on Sexual Violence and Harassment within Higher Education Institutions and share their experiences with us. A total of 11,417 responses were analysed (7,901 students and 3,516 staff) and inform the findings.
The survey findings point to some positive developments in the higher education institutions that can be built upon in areas such as awareness raising and education. But there are also some deeply troubling findings, such as the levels of sexual harassment experienced by staff and students that responded to the survey and particularly the female students that reported that they had experienced sexual violence.
My Department is working with the Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the HEA, the higher education sector and the HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to implement the recommendations in these reports.
Data from annual HEI progress updates to the HEA on implementation of the Framework for Consent in HEIs and the findings of the survey reports will provide an evidence base for any funding and priority areas identified in the reports’ recommendations. My intention is to develop an implementation plan to consolidate the advances that have been made in this area since the publication of the Framework for Consent in HEIs in April 2019. The HEA Advisory Group will act as the implementation oversight group, working alongside the HEA's Centre for Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and my Department.
I am also working with Cabinet colleagues to deliver on a number of Programme for Government commitments relating to gender equality. In this regard, my Department is actively involved in a number of cross Government initiatives such as the National Strategy for Women and Girls and the National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
