NUI Galway fails to secure gender equality accreditation

A campaign for equality at NUI Galway (NUIG) says that the university's failure to secure a new accreditation for gender equality policies "vindicates" its efforts.

Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick have received British Athena SWAN bronze awards, but NUIG and three other Irish higher education institutions were unsuccessful.

The "Micheline's Three Conditions" campaign said that NUIG's performance vindicated its claim that actions taken by the Galway university were "nothing more than efforts geared at improving its public image".

The campaign is named after botanist Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington who won an Equality Tribunal case against the university last year after she was passed over for promotion.

Trade union Siptu said it was "unfortunate, but not surprising" that NUIG had not secured the award. It confirmed that its academic section had objected to NUIG's application.

NUIG said it commended the success of its higher education colleagues in attaining the award, and said it remained committed to delivering on a detailed action plan to address gender equality.

It noted that the “process has been a rigorous one with many benefits for the university”.