UCC marks International Women's Day with a wide variety of events across the campus. 

This year's theme is Give to Gain. Simply put, when we give, we gain.

Together, let's create gender equality through generosity and collaboration.

Give To Gain emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.

On Wednesday, 25 February 2026, UCC launched its first Race Equality Action Plan (2026-2028) (REAP). This Action Plan is a landmark step in our ongoing commitment to ensuring that UCC is a university where everyone is valued, respected and empowered to thrive.

UCC Library celebrated the official launch of the recently painted Rainbow Stairs in its main stairwell. 

UCC was delighted to accept the Highly Commended Award in the Public Sector Organisation of the Year category at the National Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2026.

Read about UCC's ENGAGE project in Mentoring in Action: A Guide to Success, edited By Julie Haddock-Millar, David Clutterbuck, Chandana Sanyal

Chapter title: Flipping the Script: Reverse Mentoring in Higher Education

Authors: Tanya Watson, Mary Horgan, Aileen Waterman, and Ciara Heavin

Mná@UCC collaborated with the Women in Business & Leadership Student Society (WIBL) on an event celebrating Naomh Bríd / St. Bridget on January 29^th last in the Creative Zone with over 50 attendees. 

A significant new series of contemporary fine art portraits celebrating pioneering women - visionaries and champions who have contributed to the betterment of society - have been unveiled at University College Cork (UCC).

To mark Trans Day of Remembrance 2025 on Thursday 20 November 2025, the Pride flags were flown on UCC Quadrangle, and the LGBT+ Network and EDI Unit hosted a screening of new short film series Trans Lives.

Four prestigious awards were presented to UCC awardees at the national Athena Swan Awards Ceremony, held at South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow on 12 November 2025.   

University College Cork (UCC) proudly hosted the inaugural ENGAGE Access Reverse Mentoring Workshop on Friday, 7 November, a vibrant and inspiring event that placed students at the forefront of institutional transformation. This pioneering initiative promotes inclusive and accessible campus cultures by amplifying student voices and experiences. 

Ahead of her honorary conferring, Sinéad Burke sat down with EDI Director, Dr Avril Hutch for an In Conversation about her life and work.

The first Pregnancy Loss Support Policy for staff in an Irish university was launched on Friday 10 October by University College Cork (UCC), marking a significant step forward in workplace wellbeing and inclusion.

The EDI Unit were honoured to be awarded the 2025 Cross-Campus Engagement Award, which is presented to teams who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to fostering engagement across the University Community. 

Double departmental success for UCC.

UCC launched Speak Out in 2022 and is currently engaged in the national campaign to relaunch the tool in 2025.

The President’s Pride Lunch took place on Tuesday 29 July in the Hub Atrium as a collaboration between the EDI Unit and the LGBT+ Staff Network and with input from the UCCSU.

An exhibition was held to mark one year of the Safe and Sound project in UCC.

UCC will be hosting a consultation on June 5 to start drafting the first LGBT+ Action Plan in a HEI.

The Race Equality Network and the EDI Unit welcomed Dr Lucy Michael to campus on 10 April to run internal and external consultations as part of the development of a UCC Race Equality Action Plan.

The walls of the historic Aula Maxima in University College Cork (UCC) will soon feature portraits of trailblazing women as four acclaimed Irish artists have been selected for Accenture’s Women on Walls at University College Cork (UCC), which will recognise the achievements of outstanding women in a series of commissioned portraits.

Renowned academic, feminist and LGBT+ activist Ailbhe Smyth visited UCC this week to accept the University’s first Athena Swan Trailblazer Award.  The award was presented to Smyth by the Deputy President & Registrar, Professor Stephen Byrne, as part of the University’s celebration of its first Silver Athena Swan awards.

University College Cork has been awarded an institutional Silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality and promote equality, diversity and inclusion across the University.

UCC marks International Women's Day 2025 with a range of staff and student events across the university.

It has been a busy few months for the Safe and Sound Project. The Safe and Sound Project is a campaign in UCC that is working with students, staff, and external collaborators on the subject of sexual violence and harassment.

The week of the 3^rd of February is UCC's first ever Healing Week. This week long campaign reminds survivors of sexual violence that healing is possible, and supports are available to staff and students, both internally and outside of UCC.

The UCC Safe and Sound project held a Staff Soapbox event on January 23rd 2025 in the Dora Allman Room, the Hub.

The Race Equality Network is delighted to invite you to an important panel discussion: "What Does it Mean to be Black in Ireland Today?", 15 Jan, 10:00, the Shtepps.

Eleven trailblazing women from, or with links to, the Munster region, have been selected as subjects of Accenture’s Women on Walls at University College Cork (UCC). A group of pioneering women – visionaries and champions who have contributed to the betterment of society – will feature in a new portrait series at UCC. On 26 November, an open call to artists was announced to bring their stories to life through art. 

UCC’s first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Framework and Action Plan was launched on 12 November. 

This Framework and Action Plan aligns with UCC’s Strategic Plan and underpins our university’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It sets out clear objectives and actions to realise EDI here at UCC over the next four years.  

UCC welcomed its inaugural SoundSquad members on 23 October. 

A dedicated staff carers network was launched in UCC on 17 October. 

To mark National Coming Out Day (11 October), the LGBT+ Pride flag and the Trans Pride flags flew over the North Wing ground level flagpoles. The main Quad was also lit in the rainbow colours. 

On Thursday September 12^th, UCC’s Aula Maxima was near capacity with people eager to hear from internationally renowned humanitarian, journalist, and photographer Sally Hayden.

This year, the EDI Unit was delighted to partner again with Celine Griffin and the Bystander Program in sharing a 40 minute slot in undergraduate orientations. Students were shown content from Active* Consent, We-Consent, and the Government of Ireland, and were given examples of how to be a bystander, how to practice consent in their personal lives, relevant laws, how to report an incident, and where to seek support if needed. Students were reminded that everyone has a role to play in addressing sexual violence on a individual and community level. 

The ENGAGE Reverse Mentoring in Higher Education pilot programme officially launched on the 2^nd of September with an inaugural training event held in the Dora Allman Room in UCC. The programme, which aims to foster knowledge sharing and an exchange of perspectives between junior and senior staff in higher education institutions, is off to an impressive start with 12 mentors and 12 mentees participating across four higher education institutions in Ireland.

UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and School of Public Health have successfully renewed their Bronze Athena Swan Awards.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Art Exhibition 2024

To mark International Youth Day (12 August) and World Children's Day (20 November), the UCC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit (the EDI Unit) is inviting young artists to create artwork under the theme:

We are delighted to invite you to the official Launch of the University College Cork Staff Disability and Neurodivergence Network with the President, John O'Halloran.

Campaign will celebrate trailblazing women of Munster

Empowering New Generations, Advancing Gender Equality (ENGAGE) through Reverse Mentoring in Higher Education Programme

The Safe and Sound project was launched on the 26^th June by Professor Stephen Byrne.

The EDI Unit and the Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Manager at UCC are delighted to announce the launch of UCC's Safe and Sound Project. 

On the 8^th of November, University College Cork hosted the national Athena SWAN Awards Ceremony. The objective of the Athena SWAN Ireland charter framework is to support higher education institutions, schools 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.

The UCC Values and Culture Staff Survey has been extended to 23:59 April 22nd.  Open to ALL staff (admin, technical, research, academic, B&E, permanent or fixed-term contract), this fully anonymised survey will form the basis of the EDI framework for the university for the foreseeable future and we strongly encourage all staff to take this opportunity to have their voice heard.  Click here to access the survey.