EDII - Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Interculturalism
Athena Swan
Addressing gender inequality and other issues form a key part of the MIC EDII Strategy. We will continue to work on national priorities and processes that underpin gender equality, engage with colleagues nationally and develop a series of systems to support gender-based violence among the student body.
Athena Swan Frameworks
The Athena Swan Charter launched in the Republic of Ireland in early 2015. The extension of the Charter to Ireland was made possible through funding from the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Engagement with the Charter is a key pillar of Ireland’s National Strategy for Gender Equality with progress linked to institutional compact and key performance indicators for funding. Key objectives of the new and revised 2021 Athena Swan Ireland Charter Framework is to support higher education institutions, academic departments, and professional units be impactful and sustain gender equality work and to build capacity for evidence-based equality work across the equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation.
Institution Level
MIC achieved the Athena Swan Institution Bronze Award in 2019. In January 2024, MIC submitted our updated Gender Action Plan 2023-2027 to Athena Swan Ireland as part of our Athena Swan Institution Level Bronze Renewal application. The renewal application aligns with the new Athena Swan Framework process. The new framework seeks to acknowledge and account for wider Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work being undertaken by higher education institutions. On successful retention of the Bronze award, MIC will be required to work towards Silver accreditation in 2027. The EDII Office supports the EDII Implementation Committee to oversee implementation of our Athena Swan Action Plan (Gender Action Plan).
Faculty Level
The Faculty of Arts submitted its first Bronze level award in June 2022 and was successfully awarded on 1 September 2022 with a strong commendation. The EDII Office supports the EDII Faculty of Arts Lead, Dr Susan Liddy and the Faculty Level EDII Committee who oversee implementation of the Faculty of Arts Action Plan 2022-2026 and work towards a renewal/silver in 2025. The EDII Office also supports the EDII Faculty of Education Lead, Dr Dorothy Morrisey, and the Faculty Level Self-Assessment Team to plan and work towards submission of a Bronze Award in 2025.
