Athena SWAN Charter in Ireland
The Athena SWAN charter is a framework that is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research. The charter launched in Ireland in 2015 with a specific remit to encourage and recognise the commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment. The charter has since been expanded to include arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL) and staff working in professional, managerial and support roles (PMSS). The framework also now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, including consideration of the experience of trans staff and students, as well as the underrepresentation of men in particular disciplines.
The Charter is based on ten key principles which encompass a range of equality issues such as:
- Commitment to making and mainstreaming sustainable structural and cultural changes to advance gender equality,
- Recognising that initiatives and actions that support individuals alone will not sufficiently advance equality,
- Commitment to addressing the loss of women along the career pipeline,
- Addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional services,
- Tackling the gender pay gap,
- Commitment to tackling discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people,
- Active leadership of advancing gender equality from those in senior roles,
- Intersectionality and in particular the intersection of gender and ethnicity in influencing recruitment and career development paths.
Download Athena Swan Principles Certificate
News Stories
- April 2025: DkIT receives Bronze Athena Swan renewal in recognition of the Institute’s continued commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- March 2021: DkIT achieves Athena SWAN Bronze award for commitment to gender equality
DkIT Gender Action Plan
Read the Dundalk Institute of Technology Gender Action Plan.
