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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Gender Equality & Athena Swan

Gender Equality Action Plan

South East Technological University (SETU) was formed on 1st May 2022, by the amalgamation of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC).  Prior to the formation of SETU, both ITC and WIT had adopted Athena Swan principles and worked to embed them across their Institutions. Both had comprehensive Gender Equality Plans (GEP’s) in place within their respective institutions, which were aligned to the Athena Swan Charter along with national policy on gender equality in higher education and were actively implemented.

Both ITC and WIT had applied for Athena Swan Institutional Bronze awards, and ITC had achieved an Athena Swan Expanded Charter Bronze Award in 2019, being the first in the Technological Higher Education Sector to do so. Subsequent to this, in 2022, the Department of Computing, the School of Engineering and the Department of Humanities in the former ITC also received Departmental Athena Swan Bronze Awards, the first Departmental awards in the Technological Higher Education Sector.  

Since the adoption of the Athena Swan Charter and the publication of their GEP’s in 2018, both partners have worked to implement their respective GEPs and to embed a culture of inclusive gender equality on their campuses through the creation of new structures, offices, committees, the introduction of new policies, training, supports and networks, and data informed reporting and reviews of progress. Both partners carried out comprehensive reviews of the implementation of their GEPs in 2021, identifying key success, challenges and priorities for future action.

Both partners were also signatories to the new Athena Swan Ireland Charter, the principles of which have been formally adopted by SETU and will be embraced by the university, forming the basis for of the gender equality work in the university going forward.

Prior to the merger in May 2022, a comprehensive process to ensure that specific actions and initiatives in the legacy action plans would continue to be implemented in SETU was agreed. This four-phase process was as follows:

Phase 1: (Q 3 & 4 2021) Progress Reports and Reviews of Existing GEP’s

Both partners undertook a comprehensive review of their GEPs in Q3 and Q4 of 2021. The objectives of these reviews were to: 

  • Identify of the key successes and progress made to date
  • Identify of key challenges and barriers to implementation where they occurred 
  • Identify key actions for inclusion in the SETU GEP 

Phase 2: Identification of Key Priorities and Actions by Cross Campus SETU GEP working group (Q1 2021) 

Once the detailed GEP reviews were completed, a cross SETU working group was established to begin work on preparing an initial draft of SETU GEP priorities and actions. Membership was drawn from the Athena Swan SAT/EDI Committees from both partners. After reviewing the WIT & ITC Progress Reports, and the HE Gender Equality policy framework, the working group identified key priorities and actions for the draft SETU GEP. Many of these priorities were based upon the existing Action Plans, as well as reflecting and emerging issues such as Sexual Harassment and Violence and Intersectionality, for example.

Phase 3: Consultation (Q2 & 3 2021) 

This phase saw cross campus consultation on the draft GEP, in the form of Open Discussion Forums for all university staff, along with further consultation with the EDI Committee and Athena Swan SAT, Staff and Student Unions and the Executive Management Team.

Phase 4: Adoption of SETU GEP (Q 4 2022)

Following the incorporation of feedback from the consultation phase, the final SETU GEP was prepared. See here for a copy of the SETU GEP, which will remain in place until such time as SETU makes a new application for an Athena Swan Bronze Institutional Award.

Gender Equality Action Plan & Horizon Europe

In 2022, SETU also undertook a comprehensive review and mapping exercise to ensure that SETU could evidence full compliance with all of the Horizon Europe Gender Equality Plan requirements and recommendations. This report can be found here (SETU Horizon Europe GEP Mapping Dec 2022). Further to this, the President has published a signed declaration that existing SETU Waterford gender equality strategies and plans meet the eligibility criterion for Horizon Europe.

For further information on any the above, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Athena Swan

The Athena Swan charter launched in the Republic of Ireland in early 2015. The extension of the charter to Ireland was made possible through funding from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which covers applications to the charter from 21 higher education institutions. Engagement with the charter is a key pillar of Ireland’s national strategy for gender equality with progress linked to institutional eligibility for funding from Ireland’s major research agencies. All of Ireland’s universities and institutes of technology and several colleges participate in Athena Swan Ireland.

The Athena Swan Ireland charter has recently undergone a re-development in line with the findings of a national consultation and offers a framework for progressing equality in higher education and research that is unique to Ireland. The objective of the Athena Swan Ireland 2021 charter framework is to support higher education institutions, academic departments, and professional units in impactful and sustainable gender equality work and to build capacity for evidence-based equality work across the equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation.

Athena Swan Ireland Principles

The charter principles are the commitments that underpin Athena Swan Ireland and articulate the shared goals that all charter participants agree to upholding. The principles act as the foundation for the Ireland charter, with all other elements of the framework – including criteria, application and assessment – aligned to these commitments and the values enshrined within them.

In committing to the principles of the Athena Swan Ireland charter, we recognise that we join a global community with a shared goal of addressing systemic inequalities and embedding inclusive cultures in higher education.

We acknowledge that equality, diversity and inclusion strengthens higher education communities—the quality, relevance and impact of teaching and research, and the talent pool of potential staff and students. 

By participating in the Ireland charter framework, we strive for impactful and sustainable gender equality work in higher education institutions and seek to build capacity in evidence-based equality interventions across the equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation.

We recognise that each institution, department, and professional unit has different equality challenges and development priorities, and that these priorities should be developed based on an understanding of the local evidence-base and national and global equality challenges in higher education.

In determining our priorities and interventions, we commit to:

  1. adopting robust, transparent, and accountable processes for Athena Swan work, including:
  2. embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in our culture, decision-making and partnerships, and holding ourselves and others in our institution/department/professional unit accountable.
  3.  ensuring active leadership from senior staff, with those in senior roles at the forefront of taking action, and inspiring and fostering dedication and involvement from staff at all levels.
  4. collecting equality monitoring data to measure, understand and publicly report on challenges and progress, taking steps when necessary to support and encourage disclosure.
  5. undertaking transparent self-assessment processes to ensure priorities, interventions and actions are evidenced-based and inform our continuous development.
  6. distributing tasks appropriately, formally recognising and rewarding work and ensuring there is not a disproportionate burden on underrepresented groups.
  7. making and mainstreaming sustainable structural and cultural changes to remedy the effects of structural inequalities and social injustices, which manifest as differential experiences and outcomes for staff and students.
  8. tackling behaviours and cultures that detract from the creation of an institutional campus culture that is safe, respectful and supportive, including condemning sexual violence and harassment, bullying, discrimination, unfair treatment, or exploitation of staff, students or partners.
  9. addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional, managerial and support functions, including examining gendered occupational segregation, and elevating the status, voice, and career opportunities of under-valued and at-risk groups.
  10.  fostering collective understanding that intersectional inequalities must be accounted for in the development of effective equality analysis and actions.
  11. mitigating the equality impacts of short-term and casual contracts for staff seeking sustainable careers.
  12. supporting flexibility and the maintenance of a healthy ‘whole life balance’ and mitigating the equality impact of career breaks and caring responsibilities.
  13. fostering collective understanding that individuals have the right to determine and affirm their gender, and to implementing inclusive and effective policies and practices that are cognisant of the lived experiences and needs of trans and non-binary people.

Athena SWAN at SETU

SETU is a member of the Athena SWAN Charter in Ireland since 2017.  SETU obtained a legacy logo award in 2020 in recognition of the work of the partner institutes on Gender Equality to date.  In 2022, SETU approved a new Gender Equality Action plan for the university.  A new SETU Self-Assessment Team (SAT) has now being established and is preparing the application with a view to submit in January 2025.