| |
Meet the Decision-makers
Out now! The Talent Bank directory -
Eligibility for Circulation
The Talent Bank directory contains profiles of over 150 experienced and talented women, compiled following a nationwide trawl during 2003-04. The aim of the project is to dramatically increase the number of women appointed to boards in the scientific, technological and industrial arena.
Many of the women involved are already well-known high-fliers, keen to continue playing their part in policy making, others are fresh faces, who can bring new talent and ideas to Ireland’s boardroom tables.
Among those in the directory are the chief executive officer of O2, Intel  Ireland’s strategic development manager, the head of the Forensic Science Laboratory, the technical manager for the ESB networks, the chairperson of the Small Firms Association, UCD’s vice-president of innovation, the director of innovation at Forfás, and NUI Galway’s head of microbiology.
Head-to-head: at the launch of the Talent Bank were NCI director, Prof
Joyce O'Connor (left), and WITS chairperson, Dr Eucharia Meehan
WITS believes this directory should now ensure that more women get a seat at the table and have a say in decisions, as a reason often cited for not appointing more women is the difficulty locating suitable candidates.
Copies of the directory have been sent to government ministers, regional and local authorities, third-level colleges, and organisations such as IBEC, IFA and the trade unions, all of whom are regularly called on to suggest candidates for nomination to policy and decision making bodies. A CD-ROM version is now also being circulated.
The project was funded by the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform, under the National Development Plan’s Equality for Women Measure.
For more information on the project, read the background information. This includes data on the current level of women’s participation on State boards and councils: in 2004, on average just 27% of positions were held by women, and some boards had no women members at all.
The directory, formally launched in November, has been welcomed by senior members of the scientific and innovation community. Speaking at the launch, Martin Cronin, CEO of Forfás said: “There is a challenge for Ireland to promote gender diversity in Irish enterprise and to ensure that women are represented at all levels of an organisation. . . Increased participation of women in SET must be seen as an economic issue, and not solely a gender issue.”
Dr Barry Mc Sweeney, Chief Science Adviser to the Government, said that policy making for Ireland’s science and technology and R&D efforts must be inclusive. “We rightly worry about not attracting more girls into science subjects at school, but part of the problem is that some corners of science are still men-only areas. That has to change, and this directory should help to blow away some of the cobwebs.”
This is echoed by Eoin O’Driscoll, chairperson of the Enterprise Strategy Group. “This is the kind of new thinking that will be critical to Ireland’s continuing economic and technological success. But we have to ensure that this directory is used, and that these women are given a seat at the boardroom table.”
Prof Joyce O’Connor, director of the National College of Ireland, and one of the few women to head up a third-level institution in Ireland, was host to the launch. “This initiative is a marvellous showcase of the talent and expertise of Irish women working in the fields of technology and science. All women listed in this comprehensive directory show both professional achievement and personal excellence."
Contact WITS if you would like to:
- receive a copy of Talent Bank, or
- be considered for inclusion in future editions of the directory
Eligibility for Circulation:
Those requesting the Talent Bank publication should identify their organisation
and to which board or advisory group they can nominate. Examples of boards
and panels include, but are not limited to- the following list:
- County Councils
- Regional Authorities
- Government Bodies
- Semi-state companies and public service agencies
- Policy making advisory groups at National and European levels
WITS would appreciate if you could inform us if you have found the Talent
Bank helpful in your selection of board members or advisory panels. If you
receive a copy of the Talent Bank, we may contact you for feedback.
Further Information:
Launch of the Talent Bank Spring 2003
Press Release for the inaugural meeting of the Talent Bank and publication of the CD-Rom November 2004.
Background information and Statistics
Related Websites:
European Database of Women Experts in SET
National Women's Council of Ireland
Equality for Women Measure
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
|
|
|
|