Intersectional Discrimination Index (IDI): Understanding the student experience of intersectional discrimination at the University of Galway

This study was conducted by the Centre for Global Women’s Studies at the University of Galway with funding from the HEA and supported by the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (OVPEDI) as part of the overarching project “Embedding EDI in University of Galway”. The project specified three core inter-related strands: Data Collection, Race Equality Strategy and Action Plan, and development of an Intersectional Discrimination Index (IDI) which builds on previous work in the EDI Strategy (2020-2025), Gender Equality Action Plan, and the Intercultural Campus work stream of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Campus Committee (EDICC). Using a student survey, the study sought to understand: • Socio-demographic characteristics – including age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability status, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and program of study. • Systemic, structural, or institutional discrimination – measuring perceptions and experiences of discrimination embedded in university policies, practices, and structures. • Day-to-day discrimination and microaggressions – documenting subtle, frequent forms of bias and exclusion in both academic and social contexts. • Recommendations and expectations – capturing student-led suggestions for actions to prevent discrimination and improve inclusivity. Based on the survey data, the study also piloted an Intersectional Discrimination Index (IDI). The IDI served as a validation tool, confirming that the survey reliably captured the complex ways in which overlapping identities shaped students’ experiences of discrimination.