You are warmly invited to the Queen’s Business School Annual Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture in association with Business Engagement at Queen’s.

This year’s lecture is titled "Devolution: A Dividend for Women or a New Geography of Inequality?", with guest speaker Professor Maggie O'Carroll.

About the Lecture

More than 25 years after devolution reshaped the political landscape of the UK, a critical question remains: has moving power closer to communities also moved power closer to women? In this thought-provoking Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture, the speaker explores whether devolution has created new opportunities for women's participation, leadership and economic empowerment, or whether it risks simply relocating existing inequalities. Through a compelling examination of politics, entrepreneurship, public investment and community influence, the lecture challenges audiences to rethink what meaningful equality looks like in a devolved society. It asks whether women's opportunities should depend on where they live and whether policy differences across regions are creating a new geography of inequality. Looking beyond constitutional structures, the lecture argues for a future where power is shared more widely, reaching communities, women's organisations and those traditionally excluded from decision-making. Timely, insightful and relevant to policymakers, business leaders, academics and community advocates alike, this lecture offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between place, power and gender equality, and poses an urgent challenge: how do we ensure that devolution delivers opportunity for all women, not just for those living in the right postcode?

About the Speaker

Professor Maggie O'Carroll is Founder and CEO of The Women's Organisation, Executive Director and Senior Consultant at Enterprise Evolution, Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde, and a Fellow of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

With over 35 years' experience as an entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, researcher and educator, Maggie is a recognised leader in women's enterprise, social entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth. Her leadership spans ecosystem development and the design and delivery of programmes and services across health, technology, business development, employment and skills. Working at the intersection of policy, practice and research, she focuses on addressing structural inequalities and advancing women's social and economic participation.

Her current work explores the relationship between devolution, place and inclusive economic development, including whether devolved powers and place-based policymaking can deliver more equitable economic outcomes or risk reproducing existing barriers for women, marginalised communities and under-represented business owners.

Maggie works nationally and internationally, bringing a global perspective to national and regional economic development. Her work combines research, policy and practical delivery to turn evidence into sustainable change.

About the Lecture Series

In June 2019, former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, formally launched the Queen’s Business School Annual Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture Series during an event at the University.

The lecture series is part of Queen’s Business School’s mission to promote greater equality and diversity in the workplace, particularly with regards to ensuring equality of opportunity and respect for diversity across the University and the wider community.

About Mary McAleese

Mary McAleese, who is a Professor of Children, Law and Religion at the University of Glasgow, discussed female empowerment, same sex marriage, misogyny and homophobia during the course of the event.

A barrister by profession, she graduated from the School of Law at Queen’s in 1973 and was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974. She was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin the following year and later took up the position of Director of the Institute of Legal Studies at Queen’s in 1987. Professor McAleese became the University’s first female Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 1994.

Mary McAleese was elected the 8th President of Ireland in November 1997, succeeding Mary Robinson. She is the second female president.

Contact the host of The Annual Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture 2026 - Professor Maggie O'Carroll

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