Humiliation across Europe

IRISH women are among the most disadvantaged in Europe with low pay, fewer opportunities for career advancement, poor child care facilities, greater risk of poverty and less than 13% representation in the Dáil.

The country was humiliated recently for its attitude to women, when the Council of Europe withdrew voting rights because of Ireland's all-male delegation.

The statistics show just 22 of the 166 Dáil deputies are women, one of the lowest proportions in the EU and a dismal 58th in a list of 122 countries of the world. The world average is 15%.