Concern over top jobs for females

UNIVERSITIES should examine their academic structures to establish why so few women are in top academic or professorial posts, according to Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

Her department’s report on gender in Irish education revealed major imbalances at the highest level academic staff in all third level colleges. It is particularly pronounced in the seven universities, where just one in 12 professor posts and one-eighth of associate professor posts are held by women. “The staffing and promotions within universities is a matter for themselves entirely, but if the raw statistics were put in front them then they should ask questions of themselves.”

She said that figures for the participation rate of women in higher education indicate there shouldn’t be any barriers to them being in top academic positions. The Sé Sí report shows that since the early-1990s, the number of women attending university has doubled to almost 45,000 compared with just a 50% increase in male students — over 30,000.