DCU lead €1m international project to tackle gender inequalities in Ireland’s entrepreneurial sector

An international consortium led by Dublin City University has been awarded €994,133 to help tackle gender inequalities in Ireland’s entrepreneurial sector.

Comprising researchers from Norway, Israel, Sweden and Ireland and led by Professor Maura McAdam from DCUBS, the 3-year project entitled Overcoming the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Gender Divide: A Cross-Cultural Perspective will provide an understanding of how gender is a decisive factor in women’s participation in entrepreneurship, with a focus on women in technology.

It will generate new insights and knowledge whilst providing tools to visualise and challenge underlying gender imbalances that inhibit the process of innovation in entrepreneurship. It is hoped that a cross-cultural comparison between the four partner countries will help to explain variations and similarities with regard to gender in entrepreneurship ecosystems.

The funding was awarded under GENDER-NET Plus, an EU-funded initiative that aims to strengthen links between researchers in different countries and support gender equality through institutional change.

Commenting on the announcement, Professor Maura McAdam, Professor of Management and Director of Entrepreneurship at DCU’s Business School said:

“There is an assumption that all entrepreneurs have equal access to resources, participation and support, as well as an equal chance of a successful outcome. However, my latest research shows that women are underrepresented in successful entrepreneurial ecosystems and that a persistent gender bias continues to exist in entrepreneurship discourse and practice.

I am delighted to take the lead on this research project and very much look forward to working with all of my international colleagues to ultimately help attain gender equality in the entrepreneurship domain in particular and also within broader society.”