In recognition of International Women's Day, the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) is proud to share its Gender Pay Gap Report 2024, demonstrating significant achievements in gender representation and workplace fairness. Our commitment to equality, transparency, and progress continues to shape our institution and sets a benchmark within the higher education sector.
Looking at 2024 statistics, some of the key highlights include:
- A significantly lower gender pay gap: RIAM reports a 6.3% mean hourly gender pay gap and a 5.1% median hourly gender pay gap between male and female employees, well below the higher education sector average of 9%–14%.
- Strong female leadership: Women made up 80% of Heads of Faculty in 2024, ensuring gender diversity in key academic leadership roles.
- Balanced workforce representation: Women hold a slight majority in the upper pay quartile, reflecting continued progress in senior positions.
- A commitment to inclusivity: Flexible working arrangements and professional development opportunities are core to RIAM’s workplace culture, two key enablers of developing female talent.
RIAM is proud to be led by Director Deborah Kelleher, a champion of gender equality in music education, and Judith Woodworth, Chair of the Governing Body. Their leadership underscores the Academy’s ongoing commitment to diversity at the highest levels.
Deborah Kelleher highlighted the institution’s progress: “At RIAM, we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and fairness for the benefit of our community. Our strong representation of women in leadership and our reduced gender pay gap reflect our dedication to providing equal opportunities, regardless of gender. While we celebrate these achievements, we will continue to push forward to ensure every member of our team has the support and opportunity to succeed. I am proud to lead RIAM with incredible support from our Chairperson Judith Woodworth and look forward to making progress further progress in further reducing the gender pay gap in the years to come”.
RIAM is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace culture through:
- Gender-neutral recruitment guidelines ensuring fair hiring practices
- A comprehensive Diversity and Equality Policy
- Professional development opportunities for all staff
- Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance
- Ensuring that a balance of female and male visiting artists and composers feature in our artistic programming
The gender pay gap represents the difference in average hourly earnings of men and women across an organisation. It considers basic pay, allowances, overtime, and performance-related bonuses. Importantly, the gender pay gap differs from equal pay, which ensures that men and women receive the same pay for the same work.
To read the full Gender Pay Gap Report 2024, download the file below.