Students back lecturers in equality action
At a lunchtime meeting yesterday, representatives from 25 student societies met to show solidarity with the five female lecturers who are preparing legal action against the university after they were denied promotions.
Their move follows the successful case taken by now retired lecturer Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, who last November was awarded €70,000 and a back-dated promotion, after the Equality Tribunal found she was discriminated against in being overlooked for promotion.
The tribunal ruling found that the odds were stacked against women in the university moving beyond basic grades to senior lecturer posts or higher.
Patricia Prieto Blanco, a PhD student and auditor of the Feminist Society, said the student body wanted to send a message to the university authorities that the treatment of their female lecturers was unacceptable.
“The student body was shocked to find out what was happening behind closed academic doors,” she said.
“Students come here to learn and if they are taught by white, middle-aged men that only white middle-aged men can achieve a senior post in their career then the structures are going to be reproduced over and over and women will feel they can speak out less and less.”
Dr Sheehy Skeffington, who donated her tribunal award to the case of her five colleagues, said she was delighted with the students’ support. “It’s great to have their support personally but it’s also important for their own futures.”
NUI Galway said that it accepted the Equality Tribunal ruling. “The university is establishing a task force to review policies and procedures with regard to gender equality and to make recommendations to enhance those policies and procedures,” it said. It also wants the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to carry out an equality review of the higher education sector.
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