Ms Emily Sheridan:

I thank the Chairman and the committee for extending an invitation to Women in Research Ireland to discuss the recommendations. I am a PhD student in STEM at UCD and I am here as a representative of Women in Research Ireland along with Dr. Cathy Corcoran, a fellow Women in Research Ireland committee member who is joining us online.

Women in Research Ireland is a volunteer-run charity working towards increased representation and equality for women, non-binary and gender-fluid persons and members of under-represented groups working in research and academia in Ireland. We welcome the work of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality, particularly its efforts to advance a more gender-equal Ireland with recommendations underpinned by human rights, equality, justice and fairness values. We agree with the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality that mainstream gender equality considerations should become a key element of all State and Government policies and legislation. The Citizens' Assembly made a number of significant recommendations and we are here to comment on chapter 8 of the report, relating to norms and stereotypes and education.

As regards recommendation 26, despite improvement in recent years, gender gaps remain prevalent within the education system. The imbalance is influenced by societal stereotypes that suggest men and women have a biological set of natural skills that define what professions are suitable for them. Developmental studies confirm these influences come from the closest environments, mainly being family and school, but also from more distant systems such as media or cultural values. School subjects and later career choices are often heavily influenced by gender stereotypes.

Women in Research Ireland recommends that schools, in partnership with universities where possible, provide a more inclusive learning environment, celebrating diversity of both students and staff. We agree with the recommendation to provide a broader range of subjects in schools to increase participation in particularly gender-stereotyped subjects. We suggest that students be fully introduced to subject options in late primary or early post-primary education, allowing them the opportunity to explore and engage with subjects they may not have considered or encountered before. We agree that second-level schools should train their career guides and teachers on how not to associate job roles too strongly with a specific gender.

As regards recommendations 27 and 28, teaching about gender and gender-based discrimination should not be the sole remit of specialty classes but, rather, should be an important component of all subjects in post-primary education. Curriculums in all subjects can make efforts to improve the gender balance of studied individuals and groups while also incorporating discussions on who is absent and the reasons that underpin who has been considered worth studying and who has not. Women in Research Ireland suggests the delivery of a mandatory gender-sensitive teaching methods skill set module for all educators in schools and universities alongside ongoing evaluations of gender equality policies and outcomes. Women in Research Ireland commends the Citizens' Assembly on its recommendations to cover the important issues of consent and domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence within the revised relationships and sexuality curriculum. We highlight, however, the need to explicitly address the intersectionality of gender as it relates to power dynamics and violence.

In the context of recommendations 29 and 30, we note the recently published Funding the Future policy launched by the Minister, Deputy Harris, in early May includes expanding the SUSI grant system to those on part-time courses. We welcome this approach and hope to see it implemented soon. Women in Research Ireland also welcomes the recommendations for additional State funding to encourage a more diverse uptake into career paths and apprenticeships programmes through increased resources.

As regards recommendation 30, it is a case of if you can see it, you can be it. As media, including television, radio and online content, contribute to the learning and maintenance of stereotyped perceptions, media literacy programs in schools would be helpful to sensitise students to gender-role depictions. In addition, the media and advertisement sector is capable of showing young children the possibilities open to them in a variety of fields. For example, we know that women are less likely to be invited to participate on television shows and that they make up less than 20% of experts featured in news stories. Thus, television radio and news media should implement policies that guarantee equal representation.

With regard to the regulation of the media to avoid discrimination and gender stereotypes, we highlight the role of both the Government and technology companies in creating policies in the pursuit of fighting harassment, bullying and other forms of abusive behaviour that are often directed towards women and minority groups. Research shows that women drop off social media and even leave political careers due to the tremendous amount of online abuse they receive. Appropriate legislation should be introduced to regulate and prevent such behaviour, remove content and punish perpetrators where necessary.

The monitoring of compliance is essential for the success of gender equality policies. The data gathered can be used on equality grounds to identify data gaps on gender inequality and used to drive improvements in the data infrastructure, analysis and policies necessary to close those gaps. We encourage universities to make more extensive use of data from Athena Swan, which is already a rich source of data but can be used in the development of specifically targeted gender equality actions as needed.

Care is often seen as the default work of women. It is work that goes largely unseen and unpaid. In academia, the strain of care has been amplified for women due to the additional burden of home caregiver responsibilities, which has had a negative impact on women’s academic publications and grant funding, especially in the past two years. More specifically, the recommendation to improve the visibility of men performing caring roles should instead be broadened to portraying and respecting care work as valuable regardless of gender.

In conclusion, I again thank the Chairman and committee members for including Women in Research Ireland in this important discussion. Women in Research Ireland is committed to advancing equity for women and minorities. Addressing norms and stereotypes in education will pave the way for a more equitable society where opportunities are available to all, regardless of gender.