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Engaging Men in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in UCD

EDI Sub-Group on Engaging Men in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Background and Purpose

The EDI Sub-Group on Engaging Men has been established to build on and progress the work of the original Engaging Men in EDI Working Group. Its purpose is to oversee the implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations and to ensure sustained institutional focus on enhancing men’s active participation across all aspects of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

The Sub-Group supports the development of a balanced and inclusive university environment in which responsibility for advancing equality is shared and where all voices are heard, valued and empowered.

Engagement and Consultation (Working Group Phase)

Extensive engagement and consultation were undertaken by the original Engaging Men in EDI Working Group during 2024. These consultations were central to informing the Group’s recommendations and ultimately supported the establishment of this Sub-Group to oversee their implementation.

A key consultation event was held on 30 April 2024, opened by the Vice President for EDI and hosted by the co-chairs of the Working Group. The event aimed to foster meaningful dialogue and identify strategies to support more active engagement of men in EDI initiatives across the University.

Over 60 participants attended, the majority of whom were men. This strong participation reflected both recognition of the important role men play in advancing EDI and a clear appetite for structured, supported engagement.

A second consultation event in November 2024, alongside additional discussions and a facilitated report-writing workshop, further strengthened the evidence base for the Group’s recommendations.

The findings from these consultations highlighted several recurring themes, including:

  • Concerns about “saying the wrong thing”
  • Perceptions that EDI work is primarily “women’s work”
  • A lack of visible male role models in EDI leadership
  • Uncertainty about how EDI engagement aligns with career development

These insights informed a structured and actionable recommendations report (below).

Recommendations and Implementation

The Sub-Group now oversees and supports the implementation of the actions and recommendations set out in the Engaging Men in EDI Recommendations Report.

Its role includes:

  • Monitoring progress against agreed actions
  • Supporting the development of implementation strategies
  • Identifying barriers and enabling solutions
  • Advising the University EDI Group on strategic priorities
  • Ensuring alignment with national policy and the HEA recommendations

Please contact UCD's EDI Unit ((opens in a new window)EDI@ucd.ie) with any additional questions or feedback.

Ongoing Commitment

The establishment of the Sub-Group signals the University’s commitment to embedding this work within formal EDI governance structures. Engaging men is recognised not as a parallel initiative, but as an essential component of fostering shared responsibility for equality, respect and opportunity across the institution.

The Sub-Group operates under the governance of the University EDI Group and provides regular updates and recommendations to it.

Other Activities: Sectoral Project  “Engaging Men in Gender Equality”

In addition to progressing the recommendations of the Engaging Men in EDI Working Group, this work is further supported through participation in the HEA-funded sectoral project, “Engaging Men in Gender Equality.”

Led collaboratively by UCD, IADT and MTU, the project involved consultations with five stakeholder groups across 13 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs):

  • Executive Leadership
  • Heads of Academic Departments
  • Heads of Professional/Support Functions
  • Academic and Research Staff
  • Professional, Managerial and Support Staff (PMSS)

The project aims to develop a tailored programme for Irish HEIs to:

  • Raise awareness among men of their role in achieving gender equality
  • Provide institutions with practical tools and resources to deepen men’s engagement in gender equality initiatives
  • Strengthen broader engagement with EDI across institutions

Insights and outputs from these focus groups directly inform and support the ongoing work of the Engaging Men in EDI Sub-Group, ensuring alignment between institutional and national-level initiatives.

PPlease contact UCD's EDI Unit ((opens in a new window)EDI@ucd.ie) with any additional questions or feedback.

UCD Engaging Men in EDI Recommendations Report PDF | 694.6KB
Engaging Men in Gender EqualityToolkit PDF | 13.1MB

Contact UCD Equality Diversity and Inclusion

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
E: edi@ucd.ie