FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 16, ISSUE 8 | 26 JAN 2015
NEWS
INSIDE ‘We have to shame the university into supporting gender equality’
Emma Newell (5) with NUI Galway second year Medical student Katie Lynam at the launch of NUI Galway’s 10th Annual Teddy Bear Hospital which took place on campus from 22-23 January. For more, see page 2.
LIFESTYLE
port and move it forward. A lot of students messaged me who said they had no idea that this was happening. They were outraged that this can happen in the 21st century, and said they don’t want to be a part of a university that maintains this type of gender imbalance.” At NUI Galway, the President, Registrar and all deans of the university are male and the directors of all five principal research institutes are men. The NUI Galway Academic Council, which the campaign group described as the most important body in determining university promotions, is 85 per cent male in composition. Out of the staff they make decisions for, 51 per cent of these are female. Dr Sheehy-Skeffington spoke of the importance of students having a voice in the campaign. “If they want to live in a gender-balanced society, it’s in their hands to bring about change and to change this university. They can say more about how they see their lecturers being treated because they are not employed by the university.” The campaign is already backed by 25 of NUI Galway’s student societies and the NUI Galway Students’ Union has voted to support the campaign. “We had no idea how awful it was,” explained Patricia Prieto Blanco, one of the students who organised the launch. “It’s time for the university to do its homework. Students are here for education but what are we teaching them? That women don’t count as much as men?” Cliodhna Hallissey, another student behind the launch, commented: “Dr Elizabeth Tilley is the most brilliant lecturer I have. It’s ridiculous they won’t promote her. I hang on every word she says.” Continued on page 2…
ENTERTAINMENT
Those in attendance at the talk were encouraged to sign a petition in support of the campaign. Leaflets were also distributed with the President of NUI Galway’s email address on it, encouraging those who felt strongly about the issue to contact him and express dissatisfaction at practices within the university. According to recent figures from the Higher Education Authority, NUI Galway has the lowest percentage of women in senior posts of any Irish university. Although NUI Galway has the highest percentage of female lecturers in any Irish university, only 13 per cent of professors are women. An EU report ranked Irish universities second in gender imbalance only to Malta, which has one university. Speaking at the launch, Dr Sheehy-Skeffington spoke of the reception from both students and staff following the publication of the Equality Tribunal findings. “I’ve received an overwhelming level of support, and it’s time to take that sup-
SPORT
NUI Galway students have initiated a campaign for the university to implement gender-balanced practices, as the university “cannot shut them up like it can employed staff”. Those were the words of Dr Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington at the launch of the campaign on Tuesday January 20 in the Arts Millennium Building on campus. In November the Equality Tribunal found that Dr Sheehy-Skeffington had been discriminated against by the university in her application for the post of senior lecturer in 2009. In an interview process which was described as “ramshackle”, the Botany lecturer was not promoted in her fourth time making an application. The Tribunal forced the university to immediately promote the lecturer and award her €70,000 in damages. She donated the compensation to five female colleagues so they too could take legal action against the university.
Dr Adrienne Gorman, Dr Sylvie Lannergrand, Dr Roisin Healy, Dr Margaret Hodgins and Dr Elizabeth Tilley all felt they had been discriminated against in their applications for promotion within the university. The women are unable to take part in the campaign as their legal case has already begun. “I feel that those women may never be promoted,” D r Sh e e hy -Ske f f i n g t o n said. “They shouldn’t have to donate the energy to this battle, to say nothing of the expenses.” She also appealed for fundraising for the “enormous legal bill” the women will face; “€70,000 disappears into the ocean.” “We should have those women at the fore. It’s difficult for staff, who are employees and are therefore limited in what they can say. I’m retired so I can say what I like. It’s not just about me but about changing the system,” said Dr SheehySkeffington.
FINAL WORD
By Ciara Treacy
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