Improvements secured in recent years tackling the especially precarious nature of employment facing women in Higher Education in Ireland were highlighted by the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) at a special international conference 'On the move for Equality, Advancing Women' Leadership', organised by Education International, in Marrakesh, Morocco from 4th to 7th February.
Addressing the conference, Joan Donegan, IFUT General Secretary, said that "much of the recent change in Ireland has come about as a result of a high profile successful discriminatory case taken against one of the Irish Universities.
"The challenges facing women in Higher Education remain, but recent progress can be built on to ensure that there is no rolling back on the progress that has been achieved to date," she said.
The conference was also attended by IFUT President, Aidan Seery and IFUT Deputy General Secretary, Frank Jones.
Education International, of which IFUT is a member, represents teaching unions across 401 organisations in 172 countries and territories. EI represents over 30 million educational personnel involved in all aspects of education.
EI President, Susan Hopgood, said that achieving gender equality in the workplace means that women and men will have equal opportunities for professional advancement, for realising full human rights, and for contributing to and benefiting from economic, social, cultural, and political development.
The conference focused on the vexed question of why, in 2018, there continues to be so few women in the highest leadership and decision-making positions across sectors.
"Many women are not held back because of a 'glass ceiling', but because of the cumulative effect of small or micro issues that they face on a daily basis, which slows them down in their professional progress, or just stops them from reaching the top leadership and decision-making positions," Susan Hopgood said.
ENDS.
For further information on this media release please contact:
John Gallagher - John Gallagher Consulting - Tel. 087 9369888
Joan Donegan - General Secretary, IFUT - 087 1315960
