WOMEN’S FORUM
Annual Report of the
Director for the Gender Initiative 2006-07
1. Achievements
1.1 Queen’s was given a Silver SWAN award, only the second to a university
1.2 Queen’s became an exemplar company of Opportunity Now
1.3 OBE awarded to three members of the Women’s Forum: Srinivasan
Raghunathan, Karen Latimer, Tom Collins
1.4 Professor emerita Edna Longley became a Fellow of the British Academy
2. Activities
2.1 In September 2006 Professor Mullett spoke to the PSNI about the Gender
Initiative, and also to a conference on gender champions in NI local government;
she also addressed Senate on the subject of the Gender Initiative on 3 April
2.2 On 19 September a seminar for carers was held, organised by Lynn Boyd and
Professor Orr’s Carers subgroup
2.3 On 21 September a promotions seminar was held with Professor KD Brown and
Professor Jean Orr; all women academics were invited
2.4 On 9 October the Women’s Forum held a reception and dinner for Professor
Mullett’s OBE
2.5 On 13 October a mentoring event was held in the Senate Room; other mentoring
occasions were interviews 25-26 September, training on 4 December, and focus
groups on 23-24 April
2.6 In November 2006 Lynn Boyd and Cathy Tolan mounted an exhibition in the
King’ s Hall on QGI for Opportunity Now’s Exemplar Companies initiative
2.7 Professorial dinners were held on 3 July 2006, 11 December 2006
2.8 Professor Mullett, Professor Orr and Lady McLaughlin attended the SWAN
charter awards in March 2007; Dr Galligan attended a meeting of the Cabinet
Office Women and Equality Unit
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2.8 On 26 March QGI hosted the Equality Challenge Unit Northern Ireland meeting
with representation from TCD
2.9 On 28 June a Senior Women’s Lunch was held for academic and academicrelated women from QUB and UU: Isabel Jennings spoke inspiringly
2.10 Subgroups (and mainstreamed project groups) for example Maternity Cover,
caring, flexible working, Academic-related staff, Targets and Timetables, Equal
Pay, RAE, Committees, met during the year
2.11 As part of the SWAN plan, QGI supported the conference Did women make a
difference? (on women in universities in Ireland since the charter) with an
exhibition in the Visitors’ Centre
2.12 Meetings have proceeded with Francis Guinane on various aspects of training
and with Paul Browne on the roles of Heads of School; DQGI meets the Director
of Human Resources four times a year: meetings took place on 12 December
and 5 March
3. Consultation
3.1 Trinity College Dublin have set up an Equality Office and a WISER initiative.
Professor Mullett went in December 2006 to talk to Karen Campo in Dublin; she
came up to Belfast for the ECU meeting, and then again for a meeting of the
Women’s Forum. Lady McLaughlin and Professor Mullett spent time afterwards
discussing TCD issues.
3.2 The Women’s Forum at the University of Limerick has visited Belfast in
November of this year and will be making contact with University College Dublin
who are hoping also to set up a Women’s Forum.
4. Progress against the twelve recommendations
4.1 The scheme for flexible working was evaluated and a report completed.
4.2 The central maternity scheme, mainstreamed since 2003, has now benefited 220
women.
4.3 Lynn Boyd has kept a watching brief on the mainstreamed Queen’s Childcare; a
WF subgroup will be reformed. We are delighted that progress in Rugby Rd will
enable new staff child places during 2007-08.
4.4 Career advancement of all categories of staff will be furthered once subgroups
have been reconstituted
4.5 Groups of academic, academic related and clerical women were mentored this
year and discussions of mentoring technical women and (in due course) men are
in progress. It should be noted that without PDRF support for Professor Ennis the
Women’s Forum cannot continue to mentor.
4.6 The Women’s Forum met monthly during 2006-07
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4.7 Equal pay: the subgroup chaired by Professor McLaughlin before her sad death
this year will view progress in the autumn.
4.8 The Culture: three portraits of women are in progress for unveiling during 200708, and two books and an exhibition in planning for the centenary.
4.9 Resources: QGI was this year compelled to draw on its Athena winnings; it has
no equipment grant and carries a heavy burden of expenditure on mentoring, as
well as annual expenditure on award ceremonies. The grant has not increased
since the foundation of QGI despite increased activity.
4.10 Women on committees: a brief report was drawn up, and a new edition of the
register will be circulated to senior management.
4.11 Targets and timetables: targets for senior women have been agreed between
QGI and Human Resources. It should be noted that they cannot be achieved
without a serious review of current practice and programme of training, mentoring
and events to attract women.
4.12 Publicity: Queen’s Now ran articles on the SWAN charter and the conference.
5. Progress against last year’s objectives
5.1
Make application for Make application for Silver status
under the
under SWAN Charter
5.2
Begin talking to heads of SET units
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
Hold consultations for 10-year
strategy
Concentrate on academic women
in senior management, undertake
research and make proposals
Progress the advancement of all
staff, all initiatives and
mainstreaming
Maintain mentoring and
networking, the WFand QGI,
promote and monitor flexible
working, childcare, equal pay,
feminise the culture, ensure a
voice for women
6. Major aims 2007-08
6.1 Take 5-year plan through Women’s Forum and University
6.2 Progress implementation of SWAN plan
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Silver awarded in
February
In progress: Met with
Deans; meetings with
HoS and champions in
September
In progress: plan to be
agreed in September
In Charter plan
Progress made:
mainstreaming of
mentoring is under
discussion
All maintained
6.3 Hold ‘My Brilliant Career’ conference
6.5 Produce conference volume, slim volume and exhibition for the Centenary
6.4 Develop links with RoI and Austria towards an Opportunity Now International
award
6.6 Negotiate funding for QGI in the next phase
6.7 Secure succession planning for WF and QGI
7. Major aims 2007-2012
7.1 Increase representation of women at every level in the university, towards the
target of 50% in all grades and areas
7.2 Investigate and monitor the shortfall of women in SET, and work with faculties,
schools and the Athena project to rectify it; work with schools to apply for SWAN
validation, and when statistics improve apply for a Gold SWAN University award
7.3 Ensure a strong voice for women in the formation of policy in the university, and a
considerable increase in female participation in management
7.4 Enable a better work-life balance for everyone in the university, supporting
Queen’s Childcare, providing flexible working (including job-share at all levels),
career-breaks, maternity and paternity cover and various kinds of leave for carers
7.5 Work towards a reduction in the macho nature of management in the university
and its long-hours culture
7.6 Increase the feminization of the visual environment and celebrate the
achievements of women in the university; develop a policy for portraits and
increase awareness of gendered language in all university documents
7.7 Maintain the Helen Waddell, Helen Clarke and Sheila Murnaghan Visiting
Professorships, and develop a group of super-mentors to encourage the
participation of women; maintain mentoring and networking of women for and
with women until the statistics have stabilized; introduce induction events for
women
7.8 Monitor appointments, equal pay, promotions, increments, flexible working,
professorial banding, and make managers responsible for meeting agreed targets
and timetables
7.9 Maintain Queen’s Gender Initiative with an increased annual budget, and the
Women’s Forum
7.10 Maintain national links with organizations like Opportunity Now, Athena Project,
Equality Challenge Unit, UK Resources Centre, Women and Equality Unit of the
Cabinet Office and use them as a means of benchmarking QUB’s progress in
gender equality as well
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7.11 Develop links with international organisations concerned with gender equality,
build connections with universities abroad, and work towards the International
award of Opportunity Now
7.12 Carry out regular evaluation exercises, asking women what changes they would
like to see at Queen’s, and when results improve publicise them within and
without the university, and apply for Where Women Want to Work validation.
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