Women earn 17% less than men for doing the same work

IRISH women would have to work an extra 53 days to earn the same pay as their male colleagues, according to the latest statistics which show their wages, on average, are 17% less than men doing the same work.

The bias against women is repeated in the Dáil, the civil service, management and the boards of companies, where women fare much worse than most of their EU counterparts.

Apart from the moral obligation to stop discriminating against women, there is now an economic incentive, as studies show companies with more female board members are weathering the economic crisis better, while female-owned SMEs are 10% more efficient.