The School of Social Work & Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin has recently been awarded the prestigious Athena Swan Bronze Award for its efforts to strengthen gender equality. While the Athena Swan Charter has been recognised for its contribution to improving gender equality, the charter also acknowledges that gender equality on its own is only one aspect of equality and a more intersectional approach is needed to develop action points which consider the multiple forms of inequalities women face when accessing higher education – including exclusion based on race, citizenship and social class. The 2020 protests organised by the Irish Black Lives Matter movement and the testimonies of Black and ethnic minority women living in Ireland are a continuous reminder of the systemic racism still present in Irish society.  

This webinar facilitated a discussion on sexism, racism and class, and how their intersections specifically affect the career progression of women from ethnic minority backgrounds in higher education. The event aims to highlight the lived experience of Black and ethnic minority women pursuing an academic career and the everyday racism and sexism they encounter. We are delighted to present Dr Ebun Joseph (Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies, Ireland) and Dr Keisha Lindsay (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) as keynote speakers on the topic of Black and ethnic minority women in higher education in Ireland and the US. The two presentations were followed by three breakout sessions hosted by Mamobo Ogoro (University of Limerick), Dr Ayeshah Émon (Trinity College Dublin) and Ms Donnah Sibanda Vuma (Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland) to offer an interactive space to discuss strategies and action points needed to create a more inclusive academic environment. This webinar is kindly supported by the Trinity Equality Fund and the School of Social Work & Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.