Gender equality funding

EMPLOYMENT, enterprise and influence have been set out as the main priorities in a Government initiative to eliminate gender inequality.

Yesterday, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern announced a €61 million fund and invited applications from projects focused on giving women equal opportunities in work.

He was speaking in Dublin Castle at the launch of the first of four strands in the Equality for Women Measure 2008-2013. He used his speech to tell women’s groups their best hope for eliminating disparity was to support the Lisbon treaty referendum.

“By and large a lot of the funding in this area has been driven by the European Social Fund.

“People have to be conscious that the European Union has been the driving force for measures to do with women’s equality. It has forced us to do it and it has given us the funds to do it,” he said.

He confirmed that at the end of 2007 Ireland had reached a European-imposed target of 60% of women in employment. It did so three years ahead of schedule.

However, he conceded this presented challenges for those juggling family commitments with jobs.

The Equality for Women Measure replaces the one that expired last year and is specifically focused on the labour market.

The strand announced yesterday channelled funding at efforts to ensure women have access to employment.

Mr Ahern said before the Dáil breaks for summer he will set out additional plans to increase the number of female entrepreneurs, and by early autumn the focus will move to increasing the number of women in decision-making roles.